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Meet Kelly Reeser of Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Reeser.

Kelly, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey with Peak to Peak Charter School began in 1998, two years before the school opened. At that time, I joined a small group of volunteer parents in a grassroots effort to start a charter school where students of all ages and backgrounds would be supported in a rigorous and caring community united around a common vision for educational excellence. I was inspired and motivated by the incredible group of people who came together to create the school, and I have been intimately involved in the school’s work ever since.

After two years of planning and start-up work, Peak to Peak opened in the year 2000 with 197 students in grades K-5. The school grew from its humble beginnings that first year to the thriving K-12 campus that it is today, with 1,450 students each year. This year is a special one at Peak to Peak, as we are celebrating our 20th year of operation—a significant milestone in our school’s history!

I have worn many hats at Peak to Peak since the school started. As a volunteer in the early years, I worked in partnership with another parent to write grants that covered startup expenses, curricular materials, classroom resources, and programs for teachers and students. I also worked on the hiring team and served as an elected member of the Board of Directors. For the past nine years, I have served as the school’s Executive Director of Education, a role in which I oversee the K-12 instructional program and work to unify the program levels and departments to do all that I can to ensure that Peak to Peak’s mission and vision are fulfilled for every student.

Today, our students and staff are my inspiration and my motivation to continue the journey. Peak to Peak is filled with wonderful people who of course value academics, but who also treasure their relationships with each other. Without question, students don’t just come to school to learn; they also come to a place where they are loved and highly regarded as a member of a school family. It’s a joy and an honor to work in such a vibrant school community, and I love what I do.

Has it been a smooth road?
Aside from negotiating our original charter contract with the Boulder Valley School District for the better part of two years, a process that contained many obstacles, by far the biggest challenge in the school’s startup, was finding a suitable location for the school. After searching for a facility for two years, we were able to open the school in 2000 to 197 elementary students in a renovated daycare building in Lafayette, which was acquired only a month before school was due to start. We were thrilled to have this building in our first year and we worked tirelessly to make it homey and functional for our students; however, it was not nearly large enough to accommodate our growth to a full K-12 school. Moreover, there were no existing facilities in the area that were suitable for a school, so we knew we needed to build our own facility.

As volunteer parents, we identified a plot of land in east Lafayette that was perfect for our full K-12 campus and set out to find a way to finance both the purchase of the land and the new construction. We sought financing through a bond sale, and in the summer after the school’s opening day, Peak to Peak made history as the first charter school in the country to sell bonds after only one year of operation. The bonds, totaling $18.8 million, were oversubscribed and sold out within two hours. The bonds are still being repaid out of Peak to Peak’s operational budget. Today, Peak to Peak is one of only a handful of charter schools in the nation to maintain a BBB+ rating (the highest rating available to a charter school) through Standard & Poor’s. This rating is based on several factors: stable enrollment, significant demand on the waitlist, top academic performance, a sophisticated management team, and exceptional district authorizer support.

Today we have a beautiful K-12 campus in Lafayette to serve our 1,450 students; we have refinanced the bonds, and we have renovated existing spaces and added buildings to accommodate our students’ needs. We are currently exploring options for additional renovations so that we can create spaces for new and innovative programs our students need for the future.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Peak to Peak Charter School – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Peak to Peak’s ultimate goal is to provide a streamlined, challenging, liberal arts education that prepares students to be admitted to and succeed at a college of their choice. Peak to Peak’s philosophy is to meet this goal within a small school environment, where students are placed appropriately in each subject area and where they are known and valued as unique individuals. An important part of the Peak to Peak philosophy is also rooted in character education, the tenants of which are infused into all aspects of the school’s culture—from school assemblies to classroom discussions, to the daily interactions between students, teachers, administrators and parents.

Our alumni talk about the inspiration, support and challenge they received from teachers, of the high expectations from the administration that they internalized, and of the individual support and resources they received from our counselors. Because we are a K-12 school, students of all ages can grow and learn together and we encourage many types of cross-grade level interactions and collaborations.

Every day, I can see that Peak to Peak’s vision—to inspire students to fulfill their academic dreams for college, to develop their creative passions and athletic talents, and to become responsible citizens—is being realized. I am most proud of the fact that our students and graduates are becoming well-rounded, well-educated citizens who exercise their intelligence with integrity and strength of character. They are also learning to become leaders in their school and community.

Since opening 20 years ago, the school has served more than 6,100 students, graduated more than 1,700 seniors, seen graduates go to 250 different colleges and universities located in 46 states and at least six international locations. Peak to Peak has consistently been ranked among the top schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, and in Colorado by 5280 Magazine.

Peak to Peak has enjoyed incredible success as an independent charter school in the Boulder Valley School District. Our academic accomplishments and school achievements are well documented; however, I would say that the school’s biggest asset — and the thing that sets us apart — is the quality of our community. This community includes parents, guardians, extended family members, staff, and everyone who supports our students. It’s this community, united around the school’s common vision, that has had a profound impact on me personally and professionally. It’s a community that I am proud and grateful to be part of, and it’s the reason I have dedicated the last 20 years of my life to the school — Peak to Peak is like a family to me.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Peak to Peak is proud to be part of the Lafayette community, a small town just north of Denver. I love the small-town feel of our location, its rich history of farming and mining, and the vibrant downtown area, where locally-owned businesses and organizations are thriving. Peak to Peak is honored to support these local organizations through opportunities like our Winter Craft fair, dine-out nights, volunteering at events like the annual Oatmeal Festival, and hosting summer classes for the I Have a Dream Foundation. I can’t say there is anything I don’t like about Lafayette — it’s a wonderful place for Peak to Peak to be and for all our Pumas to call home!

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Peak to Peak Charter School

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