Chris Ferris Executive Director

2020 ANNUAL REPORTSarah Verni-LauSoutheast Campus Principal

Guerin GrayNortheast Campus Principal

Highline Academy Board of Directors

Brittany JoyceDirector of Communications

CONTENTSHIGHLINE INTRODUCTION

STUDENT HIGHLIGHT

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Mission: Highline Academy Charter School exists to foster a diverse and equitable community of youth and adults striving together for academic, personal, and civic excellence.

Vision: Create inclusive excellence in public education.

Core Values: Responsibility, Empowerment, Aspiration, Citizenship, Honesty - REACHREACH IN for personal growth and self reflectionREACH UP for academic excellence REACH OUT for civic responsibility, leadership and compassion for others

Mission, Vision, and Core Values

123

FUNDRAISING & FINANCIALS

INSPIRED TO ACT54

WE ARE HIGHLINE ACADEMY

Our students speak over 25 languages, represent ethnicities from over 50 countries, have a range of abilities and come from various economic backgrounds.

What we value most is our diversity. We commit to celebrating our differences & creating diverse learning environments.

Our diversity makes us strong, unique and best equipped to make an impact in the communities we

SERVE.

OUR PROGRAM

Northeast Campus

We believe every student has the potential to achieve greatness, nurturing their natural abilities while also expanding their horizons.

At Highline we meet each learner where they ARE and inspire them to discover who they can BECOME.

Serving 80 special needs students: we never turn anyone away.

Offering a whole child curriculum including art, PE, music, tech, Spanish, & social-emotional learning for all students.

Our community garden & food pantry feeds 100 people a week.

Southeast Campus

Home to a thriving Student Council that leads campus service projects.

Our Preschool program is rated top 15% in the state by CO Shines. Among the top 10 in DPS for math

and ELA growth.

PROJECTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Looking Back at 2019 -2020...

We are proud of what we achieved together this year. COVID-19 could not stop our focus, persistence or collaboration.

Southeast Campus wins CO Governor's

Award - the most distinguished

academic award in the state.

Southeast Campus received an exceeds

rating for closing within-school gaps for

students of color in elementary.

Northeast Campus met expectations for

growth on the ACCESS assessment,

given to all English language learners.

Furthering our commitment to

advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion within our school by initiating:

Pay for Equity - Stipend

for staff DEI research project.

Hosting staff, student, & community DEI

workshops.

Selected to participate in the Talent & Equity

Consortium with Promise54.

Restructured our program with an equity lens to

support students during remote learning. Delivered wifi hotspots to students in

need of Internet access. Teachers made

themselves available around the clock to support

students.

CO League Liaisons support community engagement & empowering student voice.

17 Student led community outreach events including a

food drive for Ronald McDonald House, supply drive for animal rescue, campaign for reducing

plastic waste, and more.

2nd Annual Kelly Linderman - Highline

Future Teachers Scholarship for HA

grads seeking a career in education.

REACH UP REACH IN REACH OUT

Carter Lemburg

Highline Academy Southeast

"The REACH program made me aware of how much more I should be helping my community. I started doing more to help others thanks to REACH. Just last week I asked my neighbors to join me for a walk to pick up trash around the area and we filled up an entire bag! "

STUDENT HIGHLIGHT

"Highline helped me discover who I am. I have been able to develop leadership skills and be a positive influence for younger students. Highline helped me come out of my shell thanks to the smaller community of people and being able to create meaningful connections with them."

"The teachers and staff at Highline have helped me learn a lot. I have changed. They helped me become a better person. Some of it was the REACH program, but the teachers really make Highline what it is. Highline has stellar teachers who always bend over backwards to help me."

Kate Harper

Highline Academy Southeast

"As I go on to high school, I will miss the smaller class sizes and the teachers who invested so much into helping me, never giving up on me. I will be back to see my Highline family as much as I can. "

Amari Heru

Highline Academy Northeast

"Highline has helped me learn how to do different things well. Pushing me to be my best. I am kind-hearted, and Highline has helped me see the value of this in the world."

STUDENT HIGHLIGHT

"As I go on to middle school I will miss my friends, teachers and principals. I appreciate all the time my teachers spent with me and being willing to help me learn whenever I needed it."

"When I grow up I would like to become a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, or a surgical doctor. Highline has taught me that I can be anything I put my mind to."

Joseph Hatch

Highline Academy Northeast "Highline is a special school because it has shown me how to help others. Teachers help kids learn different ways to be kind, nice to people, and how to be a good friend. I am going to miss everyone at Highline who has taught me so much since Kindergarten!"

Check out more student features on our website at https://bit.ly/StudentHighlight2020

Why We Fundraise

2019-2020 Fundraising Initiatives

CO Gives Day - Raised $7,960

Northeast Campus Party Gras - Raised $6,700

Shop for Rewards - Raised $5,238

Since opening its doors, Highline Academy has been an extremely cost-effective school, operating almost solely from per-pupil funding provided by Denver Public Schools. Financial security in the years ahead requires that Highline broaden its sources of support beyond per-pupil funding. While our finances remain strong and stable, never before have the financial needs for Highline Academy been greater and never have the stakes been higher to reform public education and address the educational crisis in Denver.

Highline has sought to extend its fundraising reach with an aggressive strategy of applying to grants, building new community relationships, engaging Board members and parents, implementing an Industry Partner program, and actively promoting different ways to support our program.

Fundraising Efforts

Southeast Campus Highline Hu$tle - Raised $29,854

Southeast Campus Silent Auction - Raised $27,946

Northeast Campus Fall Fest - $1,798

*Awarded Grants - Raised $512,820

*$448,864 in awarded grants from 2019-20 to be remitted in the next 2 years. 

FINANCIALS

* State Funding Sources: Represents current year state awarded grants; does not account for multi-year grants awarded. ^ Grants/Contributions/Fundraising: Represents current year activities for designated contributions; does not account for commitments secured.

Unrestricted FB as % of expenses (<15%)

MAJORCONTRIBUTORSOur supporters are our backbone and help sustain our mission to create equity in education. We are stronger because of the choice they have made to invest in our school - with their time, financial resources, and advocacy in support of our program.

We thank these invaluable partners for their ongoing support

Foundations & Corporations Donors, Volunteers & Advocates

Buell FoundationAnschutz FoundationThe Denver FoundationGates Family FoundationThe Nord Family FoundationDaystar and AssociatesBuildStrong EducationCO Department of EducationAcademy BankBridgeway Church Denver Presbyterian Church Stevinson Toyota EastFreeway FordNoven Financial GroupJohn Cutler & AssociatesOwens OrthodonticsSRS Capital AdvisorsNoven Financial Group

Highline Board of DirectorsLisa DewaneEvan & Julie ChristieAlissa EigKen & Francis ScheveCeleste ParanjapeMatt & Erin StearnsKarthik & Ashwini ReddyPat & Kesa SullivanCoun. Kendra BlackBrian DoyleJerry JohnsonPatricia JohnsonCharles AbourezkMicah StumpMichael & Heather WeirGail BolkaChandra WhitfieldJouanna Wells

Matt & Jennifer DouglasJeanine Kopaska-BroekAmy ThompsonDennis & Penny Sputh Rebecca BaernsCarol Reagan-HeruAnnie Bielecki Abbie WesselStephanie LeighJennifer BunkerAmy ShoukasRobin WesthaferTasha KleinsteuberRep. James ColemanCoun. Stacie GillmoreMicah Derieg Suzanne Amidon The Aragon FamilyThe Clark Family

INSPIRED TO ACTHighline Academy is a special place because of the students, staff, and families that commit to the mission and embrace the charge to create equity in education. Our goal is for all students to thrive and REACH their potential. We hope you consider supporting our cause and help us continue serving our community by providing character and diversity education, civic and leadership opportunities, and a world-class education for students from all backgrounds and abilities to succeed. We thank you for your support - we can do more together!

Consider supporting Highline Academy through the following:

Check out our website at www.highlineacademy.org for more details.

Way to Support Link

Evergreen Supporter http://bit.ly/HighlineSupport

One-Time Donation http://bit.ly/HighlineSupport

Vehicle Donation https://bit.ly/Cars4HA

King Soopers https://bit.ly/KingSoopers4HA

American Furniture Warehouse https://bit.ly/AFW4HA

North�eld Shopping for Students https://bit.ly/North�eld4HA

ReFundCO https://bit.ly/Refund4HA

Westerra Credit Union https://bit.ly/Westerra4HA

Highline Future Teachers - Kelly Linderman Scholarship http://bit.ly/2gaTfbe