Building and Location
Our Innovation Campus
Garfield County School Of Innovation is actively seeking land or a building near Rifle Garfield County Airport to open grades 6–9 in Fall 2027 and grow to a full K–12 model.
Permanent School Home Near the Rifle Garfield County Airport
A Letter of Intent has been signed by GCSI and is being negotiated for approximately 70 acres of land adjacent to the Rifle Airport for our future Aviation Campus. The LOI is intended to facilitate further negotiations, with any binding Purchase and Sale Agreement to be negotiated later, subject to charter approval from the Garfield County Board of Education and other contingencies.
This location is well suited for an aviation-focused campus. It would support a fly-in/fly-out program that allows middle and high school students to work toward a pilot's license while still enrolled in school, similar in concept to the Albuquerque Aviation Academy charter school, which owns and operates its own aircraft for student training while in school.
The campus would also house the proposed planetarium, Science on a Sphere, and Career and Technical Education programs in culinary arts, restaurant and tourism management. It would be a field-trip destination for students, parents, and tourists from the entire region.
Negotiations for both buildings are important to the application because they demonstrate concrete progress toward a viable founding location and a longer-term permanent site.
Upon timely receipt of these completed materials, the 120-day review period will proceed under the agreed timeline, with a Garfield County Board of Education vote expected by January 28, 2027.
Once the District confirms the application is complete under C.R.S. § 22-30.5-107(1)(c) and District Policy LBD-R, the Board of Education is required to hold a community meeting under C.R.S. § 22-30.5-107(2) to obtain information to assist in its decision. The final vote will occur on or before the January 28, 2027, mutually agreed upon timeline.
LOCATION IDENTIFIED FOR OUR INAUGURAL YEAR!
The founding Development Team has proposed 949 Railroad Avenue in Rifle as the dual-use inaugural campus for the Garfield County School of Innovation and the home of the Rifle Innovation Center.
The Rifle Innovation Center would offer after-school, Friday, and weekend programming open to all students of all ages — GCSI students and students from every other school in the area. The space would give students access to hands-on labs in STEM, engineering, entrepreneurship, and aviation, including 3-D printers, CNC routers, laser engravers, drone and aviation labs, robotics and engineering labs, and business and innovation entrepreneurial projects. STEM-focused clubs and competitions such as Technology Student Association (TSA), FIRST Robotics, Best Robotics, and 4-H would have a dedicated home.
Innovator-Mentors would support students during Expanded Learning Time hours. The Center would also be open to the homeschool community. This dual use would allow the building to serve as the founding campus of GCSI during the school day and as a broader community innovation resource outside regular school hours.
Stay Updated
Facility and location details are being finalized as part of our charter development process. Submit a Letter of Intent to Enroll to receive updates directly.
Click Here to Fill in a Letter of Intent to Enroll