WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6, 2025
VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 9
FREE
Local law enforcement weighs in on deportation BY MCKENNA HARFORD, ELLIS ARNOLD AND HALEY LENA MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Bryson McKim and instructor Hank Hulme after a solo flight. Hulme is an instructor at the aviation program that is provided through Summit Homeschool COURTESY OF RICHELLE MCKIM Academy in Douglas County.
Local mother’s homeschool enrichment program takes flight in Douglas County Mom aims to break stereotype associated with homeschooling
Richelle. Richelle was a Castle Rock mom in 2020, helping her kids get through school when the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt. Summit Homeschool Academy
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Bryson McKim gets a feeling of freedom each time that the wheels come off the ground and the plane takes flight. “Flying never gets old,” said McKim, who is working toward earning his pilot’s license. “It makes me want to pursue it as a career.” While many high school freshmen are unsure of what career they want to pursue, McKim knew he wanted to be a pilot. With 50 hours of flight time under his belt, he is waiting to be able to obtain his private pilot’s license. His dream to fly was made possible with the help of his mother,
With the uncertainty of the pandemic, Richelle, who has a background in business, looked into high academic homeschool enrichment programs for her kids. Once they returned to school for in-person learning, she noticed that her youngest son was ahead of his peers academically. Richelle also noticed learning outcomes and morale in her son’s classroom remained low. Her kids finished the school year being homeschooled and she submitted an application to the Colorado Department of Education to start a new homeschool enrichment program called Summit Homeschool Academy. It was approved in May 2022.
VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17 | PUZZLES: 18
“Homeschool is often thought of as an alternative education for kids who don’t fit in the box,” Richelle said. But Richelle wanted to break the stigma of homeschooling, and focused on providing a strong academic program. Summit Homeschool Academy is a nonprofit, tuition-free high school equivalency (HSE) program that describes itself as a “classically-driven homeschool collaborative,” according to its website. It includes “collaboratively teaching math and English with parents” and parents provide the additional courses such as science and history to complete a full education, states the website. Kindergarten through eighth grade focuses on core academics. Once the student is in the 10th grade, they have the opportunity to continue core academics or start a pathway program. Aviation is the first pathway Summit Homeschool Academy
is offering. Richelle aims to add more pathways, like world discovery and agriculture, and the aviation program continues to expand. It was recently approved for a $75,000 grant in which they hope to get three flight simulators. “(My son) is the full reason why I started the school,” said Richelle. ”I did it because my son wants to be a pilot and I want to help him get there.” The academy partners with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a private university based in Florida. Through concurrent enrollment classes, it allows homeschoolers the ability to obtain their private or commercial pilot’s licenses by the time they graduate high school. Through the partnership, students can earn up to eight college credits and a $2,400 flight credit for an annual materials fee of $495. SEE HOMESCHOOL, P2
With public attention focused on President Donald Trump’s anticipated push to deport immigrants, politicians are fielding questions about immigration enforcement, including in Douglas County. At an event in front of news media, Sheriff Darren Weekly spoke about communicating with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His comments touched on what are called “immigration detainers.” A detainer is, in part, a request from ICE that asks a law enforcement agency to communicate before releasing someone whom federal officials may want to deport, according to ICE’s definition. “We’re still obeying the law — we are not violating the law, but we are communicating with ICE within the law,” Weekly said in Douglas County Jan. 29. “If you go to our website, DCSheriff.net, you can see exactly how many immigration ICE detainers people we have in our custody, and ICE is coming to pick those folks up.” “Nobody is in my jail being held on ICE detainers — they are being held in jail because there’s probable cause to believe they have committed a crime in my jurisdiction,” Weekly added. People may have questions about what local law SEE ENFORCEMENT, P12
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