Renaissance seeks county land for 450-student Macanta elementary school
Douglas County commissioners are scheduled to consider the request Nov. 10; the school district says the county cannot transfer the school-dedicated parcel directly to the charter.
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Renaissance Secondary School is asking Douglas County to transfer a 27-acre Macanta tract for a 450-student elementary campus, a request commissioners are scheduled to consider Nov. 10 over the school district’s objection.
The charter seeks the county-owned 27.077-acre Tract RR-1 for a prekindergarten-through-fifth-grade campus. The parcel was dedicated for school purposes in 2007. Renaissance proposes a transfer for nominal payment, with a deed restriction limiting the property to public-school and shared community recreation uses, according to its petition in the county’s Nov. 6 staff-report packet.
The dispute is over who may receive the site and which state-law process applies. Renaissance’s attorney argues charter schools are public governmental entities that can acquire property and that county-property law allows the county to convey the tract without school-district approval. The district’s attorney argues Colorado’s school-site dedication law directs land to the appropriate school district when a need is demonstrated. The district also says charter schools seeking vacant or underused district property must use a separate application process that gives the school board a role in deciding requests. The district says the Macanta site was intended for it. County staff did not recommend for or against the transfer.
Renaissance says the site is needed to expand its existing grades 6–12 school to include elementary grades. In May, the district conditionally approved the new charter and required Renaissance to submit, by Jan. 30, 2027, a lease or purchase agreement satisfactory to the district for an appropriate facility. The facility must meet applicable planning, construction and occupancy requirements and be available by Aug. 1 of the school’s first year.
The district has scheduled a 3:45 p.m. special meeting on Nov. 10 for legal advice about the request and a 7:50 p.m. discussion with potential action at its regular meeting, according to its agendas.