3 days ago
Pueblo D60 board tables Varela's proposal to fast-track new West Side charter school
The Pueblo School District 60 Board of Education voted 3-2 on Aug. 12 to remove an agenda item that could have eventually allowed Stephen Varela and Pueblo Choice Schools to open a new west side charter in 2026.
A prospective charter school is required by state statute to submit an application to a local school board 18 months prior to opening. However, the quashed Aug. 12 agenda item asked the Pueblo D60 board to consider allowing Pueblo Choice Schools to apply before Oct. 1, 2025, and open in the fall of 2026.
Kathy DeNiro, Dennis Maes and Bill Thiebaut were the three Pueblo D60 board directors to vote in favor of removing the agenda item on Aug. 12. The motion to remove was made by Maes and seconded by Thiebaut.
"One has to ponder the urgency for fast-tracking this particular venture," Maes said on Aug. 12. "The decision to authorize charter school status is of great importance and should be given the time the statute contemplates to reach such a decision."
Efforts to bring a new charter school to the west side follow the June 30 closing of the Chavez Huerta K-12 Preparatory Academy. Varela and others with Pueblo Choice Schools have advocated for a new school on the former Chavez Huerta site that would offer programs like baile folklorico, Chicano studies, a dual-immersion language program and early college.
However, the charter school idea has been scrutinized by others — including former Pueblo D60 Board Presidents Barb Clementi and Tommy Farrell — who questioned Pueblo Choice Schools' desire to make an exception to the 18-month application deadlines, the planned involvement of for-profit ACCEL Schools, and the political motives of Pueblo Choice Schools.
Farrell, who is campaigning this year to return to the Pueblo D60 board, released a statement on Aug. 7 opposing fast-tracking the charter school application for Pueblo Choice Schools. In his statement, Farrell said that the 18-month timeline ensures "careful review," that Pueblo D60 should be wary of for-profit models, that political ties should not influence board decisions, and that all students deserve "a quality education."
"I share the concern for students in Pueblo's west side," his statement reads. "They deserve strong, stable, high-quality schools. But that outcome will not be achieved through rushed decisions or questionable partnerships. Real equity requires sustained investment in proven, community-rooted public education."
Varela told the Chieftain on Aug. 13 that he and Pueblo Choice Schools were "not quite upset" by the board's decision. He also said that Pueblo Choice Schools is going to "keep pushing forward."
"We're really excited to see something go into that area, the west side, and we think it's going to be a great opportunity for kids over there," Varela said. "We want to have continuity of education and support the educational mission."
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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@ Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Why the Pueblo D60 board nixed charter school discussion on Aug. 12
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