JUNIPER RIDGE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CELEBRATES FIVE-YEAR CHARTER RENEWAL
Juniper Ridge Community School’s (JRCS) charter has been renewed by Mesa County Valley District 51’s School Board on January 18, 2022.
“The smooth renewal of Juniper Ridge’s charter is a testament to the great work of our students, families, teachers, and staff,” said Nicole Miller, Chairperson of Juniper Ridge’s all-volunteer Board of Stewards. “We are so grateful and impressed by the determination of our school community.”
This was the second charter renewal process for Juniper Ridge Community School. All charter public schools in Colorado are required to go through an extensive review process by their authorizer which, in this case, is Mesa County Valley District 51. Juniper Ridge Community School’s charter was renewed for 5 years which is the longest length a charter can be renewed for. The charter was approved unanimously by the D51 Board of Directors and will be in effect through June 30, 2027.
“We appreciate the high bar that D51 sets for schools like ours and the opportunity this process has given us to reflect on our strengths and areas for growth. As we begin this next chapter we look forward to building on the strength of our academic program while continuing to become a more inclusive, supportive, and responsive school community,” said Kathleen Mumaw, Head of School for Juniper Ridge Community School, “We are thankful there is such a collaborative effort between JRCS and D51”
JRCS was founded in 2013 with the mission of bringing a Waldorf-inspired education model to the Grand Valley and making it accessible to all students regardless of finances or socio-economic status. Although Waldorf schools have been around for nearly 100 years, they are usually tuition-based and often inaccessible to all but a small tier of students. When JRCS first opened, it educated 161 students in grades K-6. Since that time, Juniper Ridge Community School has expanded its enrollment and built a new campus north of Patterson off 7th street. Now serving over 400 students in grades K-8, JRCS has become one of the most popular and sought-after charter schools in Mesa County.
The campus continues to grow along with the school and three new buildings – an 8-plex classroom modular and two Quonsets for special/elective classes – are being added to the campus for the fall of 2022.
Juniper Ridge Community School is currently accepting applications for enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year. “We encourage families to apply early as many of our classes already have a waiting list and we expect our incoming Kindergarten classes to fill up quickly,” said Marketing and Development Director, Brenda Chesney, “Enrollment applications are online and we are currently holding school tours week. Interested families can call our office at
(970) 986-8219 for a schedule and to RSVP”. Learn more at www.juniperridgeschoolco.org.