COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Banning Lewis Academy and Banning Lewis Ranch Academy will be shifting toward more local control after both schools have ended an agreement with Accel Schools, a nationwide charter school management group.
Accel Schools sent a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment notifying the state that, following the decision made by the academy, Accel would be terminating its employment with more than 200 staff under its management on June 30.
News5 reached out to the school to learn a little more about this ongoing decision and how it might impact over 200 employees. Banning Lewis Academy confirmed that the end of the partnership was part of the planned transition to more local control. You can see their statement below:
Banning Lewis Academy (BLA) recently made the decision to end its partnership with ACCEL Schools as part of a planned transition to greater local control of the school.
The WARN notice issued by ACCEL reflects the end of employment with their organization, effective June 30, 2026. However, BLA will continue operating without interruption, and there are no plans to close schools, reduce programming, or impact student services.
Moving forward, BLA will operate under a locally driven model. Staff will be employed directly by Banning Lewis Academy, with additional support from experienced partners in areas such as human resources, finance, and operations. This shift allows decisions to be made closer to the classroom, better supporting both students and educators.
As part of this transition, BLA is also moving away from a for-profit management structure. This is an important step that allows more resources to stay within the school—directly supporting classrooms, teachers, and students.
We recognize that the notice may raise concerns about staffing. Our priority is continuity and stability. We value our current staff and are actively working to extend employment opportunities for the upcoming school year. We are confident in our leadership team and believe strongly in the educators who serve our students every day.
For students and families, there will be no disruption to instruction, school operations, or the overall educational experience. Enrollment, programming, and campus activities will continue as normal.
This transition represents an important step forward for BLA. By increasing school-level autonomy and keeping more dollars in our classrooms, we are strengthening our ability to serve our community, support our staff, and ensure decisions reflect the needs of our students and families.
We understand that change can be difficult, but we are confident this is the right move for the long-term success of our school community.
Warm Regards,
During this transition, the school says it will be moving away from a for-profit model to reinvest in HR and its classrooms.
In an email, Accel Schools provided our newsroom with the following statement.
Banning Lewis Academy has informed ACCEL Schools that it does not intend to renew its services agreement with ACCEL. While we are disappointed by the decision, we respect that charter school boards periodically evaluate their operating models and make decisions they believe are in the best interest of their schools.
ACCEL has supported Banning Lewis for more than 10 years. During that time, the school expanded grade levels, increased enrollment, built a second campus, and navigated multiple leadership and board transitions. ACCEL has been proud to serve as a steady partner throughout a significant period of growth and change.
Banning Lewis has indicated that it wishes to explore a self-managed model. In Colorado, charter schools may choose different operating structures as they evolve, including working with an external partner or managing more services independently. ACCEL continues to believe deeply in the value of strong school partnerships, particularly during periods of growth, operational complexity, and leadership transition.
Because ACCEL is currently the employer of record for staff assigned to Banning Lewis, ACCEL is required to issue notice regarding the conclusion of ACCEL employment for those employees. The WARN notice affects 195 regular employees and 51 on-call or temporary employees, primarily substitute teachers.
Affected roles include teachers, administrators, student support staff, paraprofessionals, counselors, school operations staff, facilities staff, food service staff, and other employees who support daily school operations. Banning Lewis has indicated that all affected employees are eligible to be rehired directly by the school.
ACCEL cares deeply about the employees, students, and families connected to Banning Lewis. Our focus is on supporting employees through this transition, honoring the work accomplished over the course of the partnership, and continuing to serve schools with professionalism, care, and operational expertise.
If you have any information about this story and would like to speak to a reporter, send our newsroom an email.
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