WEEK OF APRIL 24, 2025
VOLUME 24 | ISSUE 8
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Douglas County steps up wildfire fight Commissioners approve ‘call-when-needed’ agreements with multiple aerial operators BY JULIA KING SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Douglas County is doubling down on wildfire preparedness as the only county in the state with its own dedicated helitack team — a crew that uses helicopters to suppress wildfires, often in hard-to-reach areas. At an April 8 meeting, the county commissioners approved public service contracts with multiple aerial fire suppression vendors, adding to a growing arsenal of support options. The contracts, each capped at $100,000 and structured as “callwhen-needed,” will only be activated and paid for if their services are used. Those deals complement an earlier contract approved in January that will provide a “hawk-level” helicopter on an exclusive basis to Douglas County for a minimum of 168 days, seven days a week, from May 17 through Oct. 31, said Mike Alexander, director of emergency management at the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office. “We are the only locally sponsored helitack program in the state of Colorado,” Alexander said. Other helitack programs exist, but they are either funded and sponsored by the State Division of Fire Prevention and Control, the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. Wildfire risk maps from the U.S. Forest Service consistently rank parts of California and Colorado among the most high-risk regions in the nation. Commissioner Abe Laydon said the effort to bolster Douglas County’s aerial resources reflects its aggressive approach to fire mitigation. “The number one potential threat to Douglas County is the threat of wildfires,” Laydon said. “One square mile in Douglas County represents over $150 million in property values. We know that a catastrophic wildfire can be just around the corner.” Douglas County’s helitack team responded to 34 wildfires last year, including nine outside of county lines. Despite the ramp-up in resources, the county didn’t need to raise taxes to fund its wildfire mitigation efforts — relying instead on a combination of American Rescue Plan Act funds and general fund dollars, according to Laydon. SEE WILDFIRE, P8
Proposed Sterling Ranch charter school draws scrutiny School touts classical education, but critics cite redundancy, ideology, lack of local oversight BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County’s helitack team, the only locally sponsored program of its kind in Colorado, works to suppress COURTESY OF DOUGLAS COUNTY HELITACK EMPLOYEES wildfires across the region.
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John Adams Academy’s application to the Colorado Charter School Institute, submitted in March, provides the clearest look to date at what the charter school proposes for Sterling Ranch, including its vision for a classical K-12 program, a projected enrollment of 825 students and a multimillion-dollar budget. The academy plans to open in August 2026, starting with grades K-7, and aims to expand by one grade each year until it reaches a full K-12 model. The 644-page application outlines a curriculum built on patriotic rituals, mentorship and liberal arts instruction rooted in America’s founding ideals. While supporters call it a welcome addition to the growing community, critics argue that the school’s approach is ideologically driven, duplicative of some existing education models in Douglas County, and designed to avoid local oversight. “This is a blatant attempt to sidestep the district and impose a rigid, politically-charged model that doesn’t reflect the values of most families here,” one Sterling Ranch parent wrote in a letter to the Douglas County District Accountability Committee. “We just passed a bond to build a neighborhood school. We don’t need this.” The decision to seek state-level authorization has fueled the controversy surrounding the charter school’s proposal. Last December, the Douglas County school board narrowly voted to release the charter’s application to the Colorado Charter School Institute, shifting control away from the district and cutting off future oversight. “Once you four vote to do this, they will be gone forever and they will never be required to communicate with us again,” board member Brad Geiger said during that SEE CHARTER SCHOOL P10
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