James Irwin Charter Academy

1801 HOWARD AVENUE
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80903

Charter School 299 Students

Elementary School K - 5th

School Overview

James Irwin Charter Academy (JICA), located in Colorado Springs, is a tuition-free public charter school that serves students in grades K–5. As part of the James Irwin Charter Schools network, the academy is founded on a traditional, back-to-basics educational philosophy. Its primary mission is to provide students with a rigorous academic foundation, focusing heavily on core subjects like reading, writing, and mathematics, while fostering a structured environment that emphasizes character development, personal responsibility, and academic excellence.

The school is well-regarded for its emphasis on discipline and a "character-first" curriculum, which seeks to prepare young students for the demands of middle and high school. By utilizing a proven, consistent instructional approach, JICA aims to bridge achievement gaps and ensure that all students reach their full potential regardless of their background. Because it is a charter school, it operates with a degree of autonomy that allows it to maintain its distinct instructional culture and commitment to high academic standards within the local community.

299

Total Students

17.0

Full-Time Teachers

17.6

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for James Irwin Charter Academy
Demographic	Student Count
White	136
Hispanic	95
Black	25
Asian	7
Two or More	33
American Indian	1
Pacific Islander	2

White
136 (45.5 %)
Hispanic
95 (31.8 %)
Two or More
33 (11.0 %)
Black
25 (8.4 %)
Asian
7 (2.3 %)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.7 %)
American Indian
1 (0.3 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	N/A
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	State Charter School Institute
Phone:	(719)302-9100
Website:	http://jamesirwin.org/
Grade Range:	K - 5th
Total Students:	299
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	17.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	17.6
NSLP Participation:¹	N/A
Qualified Free Lunch:	N/A
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	N/A

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 52

Grade 1 50

Grade 2 42

Grade 3 54

Grade 4 55

Grade 5 46