Frequently Asked Questions
The purpose of unification would not be to change what makes REMS special — it would be to protect and strengthen it.
The following commitments would remain at the core:
The REMS educational philosophy and values
A strong, mission-driven culture
A deep focus on students, families, and community
Voyages as a defining and meaningful learning experience
Discovery and hands-on learning
A commitment to staff continuity whenever possible
This conversation is about preservation through stewardship — ensuring that what we love endures.
Any changes would require careful planning and formal approvals. Nothing would happen overnight.
Governance (Who Makes Decisions)
Instead of being run by the district, both schools would operate under the RSS charter.
In plain terms, this means:
An elected Renaissance board would oversee the school, with DCSD oversight
Decisions would be made by leaders focused solely on the Renaissance community
The school would have greater flexibility to make mission-aligned decisions
The goal is not less accountability — it is clearer accountability, closer to the community the school serves.
A Guaranteed Pathway
Currently, REMS is a district magnet school and does not provide automatic enrollment into RSS.
Under a unified model, families could opt into a guaranteed K–12 EL pathway — creating stability and clarity for long-term planning.
Facilities & Long-Term Stewardship
Facilities would be owned by Renaissance rather than the district. This could allow for more intentional long-term campus planning and investment.
This is about community ownership — caring for the physical home of the Renaissance experience with a long-range view.
Whether there is sufficient community support
Whether unification would move forward
The specific structure, terms, or timeline
We are in an exploration phase.
Our Commitment to Process
If this conversation continues, it would:
Include ongoing family and staff input
Require formal district approval
Follow established processes
Remain transparent throughout
This work must reflect the trust and values of our community.
We are listening.
We are sharing information.
We are discerning together what will best serve students — now and for decades to come.
This moment is about legacy.
It is about long-term stability.
It is about community ownership and stewardship of a mission we care deeply about.
This is a conversation — not a conclusion.
Renaissance Secondary School offers an innovative educational program that includes elements of Expeditionary Learning, Project-Based Learning, and Adventure Education. As students engage in authentic learning projects, students have the opportunity to design, build, and create as they would in the real world, often taking them outside the confines of the school building and the traditional school schedule. Some have called this type of learning “Deeper Learning” - to learn more, visit: http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/deeper-learning.
As a charter school, Renaissance Secondary School has its own Board of Directors which provides governance and oversight. The board works in partnership with the District, but our school has received waivers for many of the policies of the DCSD Board of Education. The District offers “purchased services” to charter schools, like annual state testing, school nurse services, student records, and more.
A charter school is a public, tuition-free (although fees can be charged) school granted authority to operate under a contract, or charter, with the school board. Like other public schools, charter schools are still held accountable to state standards. The school is also held accountable to its charter in a renewal process with the school board. However, the school is governed by a board of directors rather than the DCSD school board.
Charter schools receive "per pupil funding" that is provided by the State to educate each student. The Douglas County School District keeps a portion of this funding in exchange for the purchased services that are required for the successful operation of the school. Renaissance Secondary School’s board must pay for staffing, facility costs and school operations from the remaining funds. To build the school facility, the Board sought private funding which will be repaid using a portion of the per pupil funding, donations, funds raised and grants.
Renaissance Secondary School will be a natural progression from Renaissance Elementary School. It will maintain the elementary school’s commitment to innovative and expeditionary learning and its strong school culture. However, because Renaissance Secondary School will include higher grades with older students, the learning will look somewhat different. Students will take more responsibility for their own learning. They will engage in more projects in the community, they will create more sophisticated projects, and their learning will be more authentic. Renaissance is not, however, permitted to grant preference to Renaissance Elementary School students in the lottery and Renaissance Elementary School students will not be automatically admitted to Renaissance Secondary.
The unique and innovative programming at Renaissance Secondary School requires additional funding in the form of student fees. Renaissance utilizes a once per year flat fee to cover educational program needs, rather than asking parents to pay fees "here and there" throughout the year for items such as adventure education, fieldwork transportation, electives, and technology fees.
The fees at Renaissance Secondary School are roughly equal to fees at some other charter schools, including DCS Montessori in Castle Pines.
~ Renaissance Secondary School is committed to ensuring no student is excluded from attending based on an inability to pay fees. Scholarships are available to families in need. ~
Current annual fees total $1200 per student and may be paid in installments.
Student fees are non-refundable once the school year begins.
For more information on fees, go to our Fees page.
Yes. The 10 principles of Expeditionary Learning created by Kurt Hahn remain at the heart of the school’s educational program. The Outward Bound organization is no longer affiliated with Expeditionary Learning, but the educational principles of both organizations continue in both the academic and adventure education programs.
Renaissance Secondary School has an adventure education program in which all students will be required to participate in outdoor adventure activities for one overnight trip and one or more day trips. Your child does not need to like being in the outdoors to benefit from the program.
The purpose of the adventure education program is to challenge students by placing them outside of their comfort zones and showing them that they can accomplish more than they thought they could. In fact, the students who benefit the most are often the students who are challenged the most. For more information, please visit our Adventure Education page.