Homeschool benefits: Durango School District 9-R
Durango School District's Shared School gives homeschooled children in grades K-8 one or two full school days a week of art, music, Spanish, creative writing, PE, and more at Animas Valley Elementary, while you keep teaching literacy and math at home. The program is taking applications now through program contact Jodee Crowley.
Who qualifies
Homeschools in grades K-8
Shared School was set up for home-school families. Your home school covers literacy and numeracy, and Shared School adds the other subjects.
Has a home school on file
Durango School District's home-school page says written notice must reach a Colorado school district 14 days before your home school starts. The district accepts its Notification of Established Home Study Form or a letter listing each child's name, age, residence, and attendance hours.
Registers with the district
District registration for 2026-27 opened February 2, 2026, and needs immunization records, proof of residency, and proof of age. Families who live outside district boundaries also file an open enrollment application, which opened April 1.
Days and hours
The schedule comes from Durango School District's Shared School page, which holds every class at Animas Valley Elementary School, 373 Hermosa Meadows Road.
- Elementary, K-5, Tuesdays and Thursdays
- 8:25 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
- Elementary, K-5, Wednesdays
- 8:25 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
- Middle, grades 4-7, Tuesdays and Thursdays
- 8:25 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
- Middle, grades 6-8, Wednesdays
- 8:25 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
The page lists grades 4 and 5 in both an elementary and a middle group and lists no tuition or fees, so ask Jodee Crowley which group fits your child and whether any charge applies.
How to enroll
- Before you start
File your notice of intent
Send written notice 14 days before your home school begins. Durango's Student Support Services takes it electronically or by hard copy at 281 Sawyer Drive, Suite 100.
- When you apply
Contact the program
Reach Jodee Crowley through the district's contact form to register for Shared School and ask about open seats.
- At enrollment
Choose your days
Pick the Wednesday group or the Tuesday and Thursday group for your child's grade, and complete district registration with the school registrar.
- Each year
Refile your notice
Written notice has to be submitted to a Colorado school district again every year your child homeschools.
What it includes
Included
- Art, music, and Spanish
- Creative writing and PE
- Yearly field trips
Not included
- Core literacy and numeracy instruction
- Grades 9-12
Shared School supplements your home school: you teach reading, writing, and math, and the program teaches the enrichment subjects.
Good to know
Attendance days depend on grade
Elementary students attend Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. Middle grades 6-8 attend Wednesdays, and grades 4-7 can attend Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Who to contact about Shared School
Program contact Jodee Crowley registers students and answers Shared School questions; the district office line reaches Durango School District 9-R.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Colorado
Give written notice to a Colorado school district 14 days before starting and each year the program continues. Notice is not required before age 6; instruction need not begin until age 7 or continue after age 16.
Colorado sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide at least 172 days of instruction averaging four instructional contact hours daily, covering reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular instruction in the U.S. Constitution.
- Testing: Academic evaluation in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11: standardized test or evaluation by a qualified person.
- Records: Permanently keep attendance, test or evaluation results, and required immunization records; produce them on 14 days’ written notice when the superintendent has probable cause to believe the program is noncompliant.
- Teachers: Instruction is provided by a parent or legal guardian, or an adult relative designated by the parent; no teaching license is required.
Read the Colorado homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Colorado
Questions parents ask
- Do we need a notice of intent for Shared School?
- Yes. Send written notice to a Colorado school district 14 days before your home school starts, and again every year; Durango accepts its own form or a letter.
- What do middle schoolers study?
- Middle grades take Socratic seminars, creative writing, classic literature appreciation, applied math practice, and science and social studies projects, plus Spanish, PE, art, and drama. Team-building and problem-solving activities are part of the week.
- Does Shared School cost anything?
- The district does not say; the Shared School page lists no tuition or fees. Ask Jodee Crowley whether field trips or supplies carry a charge before you enroll.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Local classes cover the subjects they offer. We teach the remaining subjects, so a local class can stay part of the year without becoming the whole curriculum.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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