1. Does my student have to attend classes all day?

Yes. All part-time students in grades K-12 must be enrolled for the full day in order to participate in SAS. Our funding comes from the state, and each registered student must be enrolled in 180 hours per school year (6 classes) in order to qualify for this funding. High school students taking college courses through SAS meet different requirements. Please contact our Concurrent Enrollment Coordinator, Megan Bidwell at Megan.Bidwell@jeffcoschools.us, for more information on those requirements.

2. Do I still need to submit a notice of intent to my school district?

Yes, each year parents of most students enrolled in Summit South are required to submit a Notice of Intent to Homeschool or be enrolled in an “umbrella school.” (SAS is not an umbrella school.) The Notice of Intent can be submitted through Enroll Jeffco. Questions can be sent to the Home-Based Education office at HomeBasedEd@jeffco.k12.co.us. A sample notice is provided on our website at: www.thesummitacademysouth.org/co-homeschool-law. Parents of SAS high school students who are enrolled with a full-time status should not submit a Notice of Intent, since their students are no longer considered to be homeschooled.

3. Why is it important to report absences to Summit Academy South?

Attendance reporting is, first and foremost, for the safety of your student. We take our responsibility to verify the presence of each student in each class very seriously. When families do not report absences, they should expect a phone call from the Summit South Attendance Secretary, as well as an automated phone call from the district, reporting an unresolved unexcused absence to the parents. This is part of the checks and balances system of any school program and is in place to keep your students safe. Please contact Aspin Schulz at Aspin.Schulz@jeffcoschools.us with any attendance-related questions. 

4. What if we enroll and then later in the year decide that SAS is not a good fit for our family?

You simply notify our enrollment secretary, Aspin Schulz at Aspin.Schulz@jeffcoschools.us, fill out a withdrawal form, and return your checked-out materials. If you are transferring to another Jeffco school, you will need to fill out a Transfer Request form, which will be sent to you upon withdrawal request.

5. Why do you need a Health Plan for my student with medical needs? They (or their siblings) know how to manage their condition.

Each year we need to collect a health plan for students with medical issues such as diabetes, allergies, asthma, and seizures. The health plans must be turned in no later than the first day of school, August 27 (Littleton) and 29 (Conifer), 2024. Due to the legal requirements under which our program functions, students with medical issues are unable to attend Summit Academy South without the appropriate health plan paperwork.

If you listed certain medical issues on your student's paperwork, you will need to contact your doctor and ask for a “health plan.” A health plan tells the school exactly what needs to be done to care for your student's medical needs. Doctors will be familiar with this request since it is required of any student in school. Some doctors have their own forms, and others request a form from us. Forms are available at www.thesummitacademysouth.org/health.  

Please note that trained school staff members must manage student health care while they are at school. We are strictly unable to allow student care to be managed by siblings or self (unless a medication falls under a self-carry exception and appropriate paperwork is on file).

6. Why does Summit South need volunteers, and what is involved?

Summit South depends on the help of all parents for the safety, success, and outstanding experience we are committed to providing as a community of home-educating families. Before school starts in September, we will send out a Sign-Up Genius where you can pick the times and jobs that best fit your family’s needs.  Families are requested to do 10 hours of volunteering. We also appreciate any extra volunteer work you are willing to do. Without the support of our parent volunteers, we are unable to provide the best choices for students, such as the freedom to choose their lunch environment. Volunteer hours should be logged in Praxi.

7. Many homeschoolers are faith-based. How does Summit Academy South maintain a public school program for many faith-based families?

SAS is a public school program and therefore does not promote any particular religion, but we are not anti-religion. We, as a community, will be sensitive to the variety of values of our families. There are some topics, such as evolution and sexual reproduction, which many parents prefer to cover at home. These topics, if addressed, will be covered in a way that encourages families to talk through their own values.

8. The Summit Academy South meets in a church. Is this because it is affiliated with the church or the beliefs of the church? 

Summit Academy South does meet in church buildings, but we are a separate organization from the churches and have no affiliation with the churches we meet in or their beliefs. We are tenants of the church for 4-5 days a month for 10 months out of the year. Churches typically have the space that is needed to operate a school, the availability during the week when schools typically operate, and the variety of facilities that allows Summit South to offer the spectrum of classes that make our program unique. All of these factors continue to make a church facility a reasonable option for the location of a part-time public school program.