The St. Vrain Valley school board, at its Wednesday meeting, voted unanimously to deny an application by Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Denver to continue operating a part-time homeschool enrichment program in Dacono.

Ascent, a charter school authorized by the Colorado Charter School Institute, was required to seek St. Vrain Valley’s approval under new state rules for publicly funded homeschool programs operating outside of their member school districts. While the Ascent homeschool program operates out of a Dacono church located in the St. Vrain Valley School District, the charter school itself is located in Brighton’s 27J School District.

As reported by Chalkbeat Colorado, the new state rules aim to close loopholes that in recent years allowed a public education co-op in Monument to authorize more than 50 new homeschool enrichment programs, costing the state tens of millions of dollars.

Ascent’s Dacono homeschool program opened in the fall, operating one day a week and serving about 50 students last school year, according to the application. No one from Ascent spoke at Wednesday’s school board meeting.

School board members also didn’t comment before voting “no.”

In recommending denial of Ascent’s application, district staff members said the application was incomplete. Plus, they said, St. Vrain already offers its own in-house homeschool enrichment program.

The St. Vrain Valley last school year served about 800 K-12 APEX Homeschool Program students, who are considered part-time public school students. Students attend classes one day a week at a rented location in Longmont. The program will move in fall 2027 to Longmont’s Sanborn Elementary, which is closing.