✨ Mr. Jeff Pierson Joins JA Secondary as Interim Principal
As we begin a new school year, the Board is pleased to share that Mr. Jeff Pierson has stepped in as Interim Principal at JA Secondary, following Dr. Ann Schultz's transition to her new role as Jefferson Academy Charter Schools’ (JACS’) Executive Director.
Mr. Pierson brings deep roots to our community. He spent eight years as Executive Director for the Department of School Safety at Jeffco Public Schools, where his team directly supported JA Secondary — giving him firsthand familiarity with our school and how it runs. Before that, he spent 10 years at Standley Lake High School, including eight years as Principal. He is a respected, servant-hearted leader who is eager to work with our students, staff, and families.
The Board is grateful for Mr. Pierson's willingness to step into this role and looks forward to the leadership and stability he brings.
📆 Save the Dates: Two Special Board Sessions this Fall
The Board of Directors invites JA and Summit families to two upcoming special sessions:
On Monday, August 24, from 6:00-8:00pm at Summit Westminster, we'll hold a session with Dr. Walt Cooper of McPherson & Jacobsen, marking the final step in our Executive Director search process. This session is designed to identify a handful of key priorities and measures of success for Dr. Schultz as she leads JACS forward.
On Wednesday, September 9, from 5:30-8:00pm at Summit Westminster, we'll kick off our strategic planning process for the 2027-2030 school years. Our current plan runs through 26-2027, and this new version will guide how our organization evolves, providing leadership and the Board with a roadmap for the next three years.
Both sessions are open to the public, and we encourage parents, staff, and community members to attend, ask questions, and share your perspective.
🏫 Update on the Search for Summit Academy South’s Permanent Home
Right now, Summit South serves students at two separate locations — a setup that creates logistical challenges and limits expansion. Over the course of the 2025-2026 school year, the Board explored the possibility of leasing or purchasing the Goddard Ranch property on Highway 285 as a potential new location that would bring our two Summit South campuses together under one roof.
Initially, Goddard Ranch was a promising opportunity, and the Board invested just over $100,000 in a due diligence process to thoroughly evaluate the building’s potential for school use. After careful consideration, we determined the required investment and timeline were not aligned with our needs. We've decided not to move forward with the property, and Summit South will continue operating in its current locations for now.
This decision does not negate Summit South’s need for a permanent home, and we expect to explore it further as part of our 2027-2030 strategic plan. We're deeply grateful to Principal Allycia Tausig for her leadership throughout this process, to our staff for their continued dedication across both locations, and to our Summit South parents for their trust and patience as we work toward a solution.
📱 Feedback on the Bell-to-Bell Device Policy
During its June 2026 meeting, the Board of Directors approved Policy 7.10: Student Use of Personal Technology Devices, establishing consistent expectations across all JA campuses for the use of phones, smartwatches, and smart glasses during the school day. The goal of this policy is to ensure technology supports learning rather than competes with it.
Each campus retains its own discretion over the use of personal laptops. To better protect student privacy, JA Secondary school leadership elected not to allow personal laptops, instead providing Chromebooks for every student in every class — an approach consistent with our other campuses. Additionally, the secondary campus implemented a bell-to-bell, no-cell-phone policy, which is also consistent with our other campuses. Both changes represent a significant shift for our students and families.
At our August board meeting, we heard from several families about how these changes are affecting their students, and we appreciate those who took the time to share their experiences and concerns. Parent input is important to the Board and helps inform how we lead and support our school community.
We recognize that a significant change like this is difficult and may require adjustments along the way. The Board supports our school leadership and the purpose behind the policy while also recognizing the importance of listening carefully to feedback as it is implemented. School leaders remain in close communication with students, staff, and families and are monitoring implementation to identify opportunities for improvement.
💫 Celebrating our Talented Team + Strong Staff Retention
One of Jefferson Academy's four strategic pillars is building a Talented Team, attracting and retaining staff who embody our mission, vision, and core values. The Board is proud to share that this commitment continues to show up in the numbers: our overall teacher turnover rate for the 2025-2026 school year was just 5%, significantly stronger than both district and national averages. This kind of stability matters. When teachers and staff stay at JA year-after-year, students benefit from consistency, stronger relationships, and experienced educators who know our community and curriculum inside and out.
This year, we welcomed 31 new teachers and staff members to the JA family. Regardless of campus, we know they'll find a community rooted in collaboration, professional growth, and genuine support — the same qualities that have helped so many of our team members build lasting careers at Jefferson Academy.
We're deeply grateful to our teachers and staff for their continued dedication to our students and families, and to our school leadership for fostering a culture where talented people want to stay and grow.
— Sincerely, The Jefferson Academy Charter Schools Board of Directors