Painted Prairie has always been designed as a community where families can grow, connect, and thrive—and education plays a major role in that vision. That’s why we’re excited to share an important update: Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST) is exploring the possibility of opening a new elementary school (grades K-5) at Painted Prairie, located on the dedicated school site adjacent to the future Aurora Regional “Pioneer Park. During the recent Painted Prairie Developer Forum, Nella García Urban, CEO of DSST Public Schools, introduced residents to DSST and shared the network’s intent to pursue an elementary school on the Pioneer Park site. This area also includes plans for a regional park, which has been part of the Painted Prairie master plan since the earliest phases of development.
If you would like to support this potential new neighborhood school, now is the time to act. Community demand and support are essential to the charter approval process. Painted Prairie residents and residents in surrounding neighborhoods can make a meaningful difference by submitting letters and emails of support to help build support for the school among the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education. The goal is to collect 100 letters/emails in support of DSST’s proposed school at Painted Prairie. Letters/Emails must be received by February 28, 2026.
To submit your support, email Analise Gonzalez, DSST Head of Growth, at analise.gonzalez@scienceandtech.org with:
DSST is a free, public charter school, and this proposed school would be DSST’s first elementary school. While this would be their first elementary campus, DSST brings deep experience in serving students across a full K–12 pathway and understands what it takes to build strong foundations for young learners—academically, socially, and emotionally.
If approved, the Painted Prairie elementary school would also serve as the beginning of a future “feeder” system into DSST’s planned middle and high school options in the Aurora Highlands area.
DSST emphasized that Painted Prairie families would be central to this school model. The intent is for this school to operate like a neighborhood school that happens to be a charter, meaning:
DSST shared the following timeline for the Aurora Public Schools charter process:
Thank you for helping shape what comes next and continuing to build a strong community.
