Dear JA Charter Schools Community,

It is always exciting to see staff, students and families arriving for the start of a new school year! This year started with our All Organizational Kick Off that included 270 staff members, the JA Board of Directors, and Board members from all our support organizations (Elem PTO, CCC PTO, Boosters, Foundation). The theme for this year was “Seeds of Success”. Conversations centered around creating long-term value by investing now in students and fellow staff members with those investments growing and flourishing over time. During the morning meeting, 45 different staff members received gifts donated by local businesses, from small wall hangings to RTIC coolers and many more gifts both large and small. What a great way for our larger community to invest in our amazing staff! 

This month US News & World Reports published their list of “Top High Schools” in Colorado and across the country. Because their metrics focus on AP courses and exclude Concurrent Enrollment programs, JA Secondary’s actual results are not reflected in their reports. Many years ago, JA Secondary and Summit Academy were on the cutting edge adopting Concurrent Enrollment when it first started. We understood that having students attend actual college courses served them better and provided more academic options than AP courses alone. In fact, JA Secondary is one of the few recognized Front Range Community College Remote Campuses.  

Last year’s data emphasizes the success of our Concurrent Enrollment programs. Across our 3 high school programs 252 and 254 students took college courses in the fall and spring semesters respectively.

In total, during the 2024/25 school year, our students earned 3,529 college credits!

That saved our students $1,026,939 in tuition if the courses had been taken at FRCC after graduation. If taken at CU Boulder, the savings increases to $1,810,377. To date, two of our students graduated high school with more than 70 college credits.  

We remain committed to focusing on Concurrent Enrollment supplemented by AP courses taught on campus, knowing that this model serves our students significantly better than reversing the position. Our hope is that one day US News & World Report will update their metrics rather than relying on the logic they developed before Concurrent Enrollment was available. 

The following sections give more exciting news from each of our campuses about construction, finances and much more.

Thank you again for a great start to the year.

Warm regards,
Tim Matlick
Executive Director
JA Charter Schools

Financial Fortitude is one of the pillars in the JA Board’s Strategic Plan. Over the last several years we have been working behind the scenes, encouraging Jeffco Schools to pay interest on our restricted and unrestricted fund balances held at district.

We are ecstatic to announce that this summer the district agreed to distribute interest earned on charter school reserves (less customary management and bank fees).

Our projections indicate that JACS should receive around $375,000 in interest from the 2024/25 school year.

Receiving these funds each year will help fulfill the Board’s goal of paying off our bond early. Paying off the bond prior to our balloon payment will eliminate our annual bond payment of approximately $1,220,000/year and will keep JACS from refinancing our balance from our current 3.5% rate to a much higher rate.  

This year is especially exciting as there have been some wonderful developments over the summer:

• Elementary: Two semi-truck loads of wood fiber were added to the playground to protect students. A huge thank you goes out to staff and parents who help move and level the material. Work is continuing on the church with the hope of securing our Pre-K and Jag Care license in the near future. 

• Secondary: Work is continuing on the new all-weather track and grandstands. Some permitting and construction challenges have delayed the completion of the project. More information regarding when each project will be completed will be provided as work progresses.

• Coal Creek Canyon: Enrollment increased this second year as a Jefferson Academy school. The Pre-K program is up and running and the Super Monday program off to a great start.

• Summit Westminster: The Summit Athletic Program started year 3 with a new and highly experienced site Director and a great group of enthusiastic students.

• Summit South: School leadership is addressing county and fire code regulations in the hopes of securing a new, single-site location that will serve both the Littleton and Conifer communities.

Family & Community Connection Survey – Stay Connected, Get Involved

We’re excited to share that our Family & Community Connection Survey has been updated for the new school year! If you haven’t already, we invite you to take a few minutes to complete the survey for your campus.

This annual survey is one of the best ways for us to learn more about our families—your interests, your availability for volunteer opportunities, JA/Summit family-owned businesses, and any needs you may have. While it isn’t required, your participation is incredibly valuable. The more we know, the better we can create meaningful connections and provide support across our JA community.

Complete the survey for your campus:

JA campuses

Summit campuses

Here’s what the survey covers:

• Volunteer interest & availability – helping us connect you with opportunities that fit your schedule.

• Committees & leadership – determine if you’d like to get more involved (see info more below)

• Business connections – JA/Summit family-owned businesses, with options to join our free directory or explore advertising.

• Sponsorships & donations – opportunities for company support.

• Family needs & resources – a confidential way to request support if your family could use an extra hand.

Once the survey closes (September 30th for JA campuses, October 15th for Summit campuses), we’ll sort the responses and connect families with the information, resources, and contacts that match what you’ve shared. It’s an easy but impactful way to help strengthen our community connections all year long.

Are you interested in being a part of the JA or Summit team? We are in search of amazing people who can help us further our mission: to help students attain their highest academic and character potential through an academically rigorous, content-rich educational program.

Take a moment to search our current openings, and send job applications and questions to: jobs@jajags.com.

Did you attend Jefferson Academy for at least one full school year?

Please take a moment to complete our JA Alumni Registration so that we can add you to our database and update your communication preferences!

Visit the Alumni page on our website for any updates that may be posted, and be sure to share the link with other alumni!