The Denver Board of Education will decide today whether a charter school seeking to open in 2008 should be required to adhere to its contract and open this fall as originally planned.

Denver Collegiate Academy was supposed to open its doors for about 100 students this fall in far northeast Denver but is struggling to find someone to head the school.

Heather Lamm, Denver Collegiate Academy Board chairman, said the school could open in the fall, but the leaders they're interested in are committed at other schools through June and they don't believe they can start up with the best people by the fall.

"It's not long enough of a window," Lamm said. "It's difficult to hire staff, even now. To get a director of curriculum, six good solid teachers in place and community support - it's not enough time."

The charter school and Denver Public Schools are also quibbling over a location, though Lamm said that's not a huge stumbling block and that if the board requires them to open in the fall, they will be able to lease a building within two weeks.

But Lamm said they've gotten mixed messages from DPS staff and the Board of Education on what the boundaries should be. The three proposed locations by Denver Collegiate Academy were places the DPS staff said fell outside the Montbello area - defined as Interstate 70 on the south, Peoria Street on the west and the school district boundaries on the east and north.

The three-year contract between DPS and the Denver Collegiate Academy was agreed to last year by the board and the goals were for it to help offer more choice for students in crowded schools in the Montbello area.

Amy Friedman, DPS director of school choice, said most of the schools in that area are close to capacity.

"We want parents to have as many good options as we can provide to them," Friedman said. "We haven't been able to provide extra choice up until this point."

The goals for the charter in the current contract are to start with 100 students and double that number by 2008. By the final year, Denver Collegiate Academy should be serving 300 students, according to Friedman.

Board members at a work study session on Monday were split on the request for a deferral.

Board Member Lucia Guzman said she was bothered by the request and fellow board member Jeannie Kaplan said she didn't think it seemed fair for Denver Collegiate Academy to get a deferral when other charter schools might like similar consideration.

But Lamm said charter schools have a right to make the request and thought Kaplan missed the point.

"The question on the table now is, are the kids of Montbello being treated fairly?" Lamm said. "That's the real fairness question."

The board meets at 5 p.m. at the district headquarters at 900 Grant St. in Denver.

monterod@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5236