By Richelle McKim

The Colorado state legislature is considering the introduction of a measure to strip funding from homeschool enrichment (HSE) programs, which are one of the most cost-effective and impactful educational tools the state currently has to offer. If it is passed, it would mean denial of access to meaningful educational opportunities for thousands of Colorado students.

Homeschooling in Colorado is a vital and growing part of our educational landscape, yet the public rarely gets to witness the transformation that happens when students find the right fit. As a leader of Summit, a homeschool enrichment program, I see students who were not thriving in traditional settings finally finding their footing and their confidence. Homeschool enrichment programs are not a replacement for traditional schools; they are a necessary complement in Colorado’s diverse educational ecosystem.

The heart of an HSE’s work is the understanding one size does not fit all. HSE’s provide the flexibility and specialized support many families desperately need. Consider the effect of this tailored approach with just two examples from our program:

• Like other HSE’s, we serve students with special needs who struggled in traditional systems despite the best intentions of educators. One of our tenth graders previously felt unwelcome and unsupported in public, private and charter programs. His mother, Jenn D, shares he needed compassionate, skilled teachers to accommodate his learning differences. Now in his second year at Summit, he has progressed well beyond what he achieved elsewhere. For him, Summit is more than a program; it is a community that helps him thrive.
• We also support gifted students who feel stagnant in a standard classroom. Alexis T chose homeschooling for her daughter after a public charter school failed to challenge her. Since joining Summit, she has been able to skip a year of math and dive deeper into her passions. Her family has found a community of friends and a way to engage in her academics more closely.

These are just two examples from our program alone, and these stories are not exceptions; they are the reason we and other HSE programs exist. Whether a student needs slower pacing to find their footing or the freedom to accelerate, the nimble environment HSE offers makes that growth possible.

Unfortunately, some at the state legislature do not see these benefits; they instead fall for the misconception HSE programs compete with or take something away from public schools. This is not the case.

Despite serving both public and homeschool students and delivering real educational outcomes, homeschool enrichment programs often operate with limited or uncertain funding. This reality creates significant barriers for families who cannot afford to supplement their child’s education out of pocket.

State funding for these programs is a matter of equity and effectiveness. If a student’s needs are best met in an enrichment environment, then our funding systems should reflect that reality. Public education should be about meeting students where they are — not requiring them to fit a single, rigid model.

Investing in HSE programs is a practical decision. We are cost-effective and deeply responsive, leveraging strong family partnerships in ways traditional systems often struggle to replicate.

If programs like ours face closure due to a withdrawal of state support, we must ask: where will these students go? For the tenth grader who finally found his place at Summit, for instance, losing this program would be devastating. Colorado has long valued innovation in education. Supporting homeschool enrichment is a continuation of that tradition — a recognition that when we expand opportunity, we expand the potential for every child to succeed.

I see that potential every day. With thoughtful state support, even more Colorado families could as well. Without it, how could we even begin to measure the cost of opportunity denied?

Richelle McKim is executive director and founder of Summit Homeschool Academy.