Why choose Tesla?

Why Tesla EOS

The campus is small – only 1 level.
Flexible beginning dates – we start students at almost any time during the year and still offer credit earning possibilities.
I-contract – if a student can’t get their credit completed during the 12-week trimester, they can contract with a teacher to finish the credit within a 2-week window.
Relationships – many of our staff form close relationships with their students which often bridges graduation.
Small class sizes – you will get more help and attention in your classes and have an opportunity to make connections with other students.
Credit Recovery – trimesters allow for 21 credits in a year if you take 7 classes for each trimester.
Alternative Credit Opportunities – these are offered for a variety of activities, including CLEP testing.
Flexibility with scheduling – a working student could start classes later or attend classes early & end classes before lunch.
CTE offerings – Bike Tech, Backpacking, Mountain Biking; also, Explorer, WFA/WE/LNT, BME, MOS 1 &2
ACE – credits for working in the community.

What Makes Tesla Different?

Tesla is an alternative school, and as such seeks to help students with various obstacles and circumstances. Tesla students work on a trimester system, three trimesters a school year instead of 2 semesters a year, this system allows students to earn more credits. Tesla has a heavy focus on it's students, with smaller class sizes that let each student the attention and time they need from teachers.

District Bus Route
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Frequently Asked Questions about Tesla

I have a hard time getting to school in the mornings. What time do classes start at Tesla?

I have a job in the afternoon. Can I get out of school early?

I am behind in credits. Can I still graduate on time?

That depends on how many credits you need, and how hard you are willing to work to get those credits. Most students who are not over a year behind in credits can usually earn the credits they need to graduate on time. Students have the opportunity to earn up to 21 credits in a year.

If a student needs to earn more that 21 credits Tesla offers the following opportunities:

Students with a job can earn work credits that can be used to take the place of elective credits.
Students can enroll in an 8th Hour Novanet Connexus course.
Students are able to dual enroll with Digital High School to earn the additional credits at night.

Still need more information, please contact us at 719.328.3111.

I am too far behind to graduate on time. What do I do?

Students in District 11 can attend high school until they turn 21 years of age. There is no rule that states you have to graduate after 4 years of high school. Some students need an extra year or two for whatever reason and there is nothing wrong with that. If you find yourself needing too many credits and you are turning 21 soon, you still have the option to take the GED.

Can I graduate early from Tesla?

YES! We can help you graduate early, but Tesla has specific rules to best support our students' success.

To support student's success in high school, we do not allow our freshman to take more than 5 classes per trimester or sophomores to take more that 6 classes per trimester. However, juniors and seniors may take up to 7 classes per trimester (8 if you are in a Novanet Connexus). Once a student has earned the specific required credits for each subject area, totaling 46 credits, required for graduation and has completed the additional graduation criteria, they are eligible to graduate, regardless of what trimester it is or what grade they are in.

Does it look bad to colleges if I graduate from an alternative school?

No! Tesla grades the same as traditional schools. Students from Tesla are strongly encouraged to go to college. If you would like to go to college, Tesla staff will do everything they can to help you get there.

If you want to get a head start on college, Tesla also has following options:

Earn college credit and/or industry certifications with our CTE programs and Career Pathways
Take college classes here in the Tesla building
Participate in Concurrent Enrollment at PPSC

Twice a year we have a Post-Secondary Fair that invites colleges throughout Colorado to talk with our students.

I have had truancy issues at my current school. What are your truancy policies?

If you have an active truancy case at your current high school or middle school, we will continue with that case. Just because you switch schools does not mean that your truancy case will go away. Tesla is an attendance-driven school. If you cannot attend school regularly, then Tesla is probably not the school for you. At Tesla, we believe in giving all students a second chance. If you do not attend classes regularly at Tesla, you cannot earn credits. Tesla takes attendance daily. We try to help parents come up with solutions to help their students be successful. At Tesla, our #1 goal is for students to graduate. (Sometimes that requires intervention from the courts.) Please keep in mind that we are not trying to punish, we are only trying to help you better your future.

Is Tesla where kids go because they have been in trouble at other schools?

Tesla is an alternative school and 95% of our students are at risk of not graduating from a traditional high school. Many of our kids are at risk due to no fault of their own. We try to give all students a second chance and have been very successful with seeing students "turn around", so to speak. At Tesla, we will not give up on a student if they truly want to graduate. However, if a student is causing problems at Tesla and does not make an effort to get their credits, they will be sent back to their home school. Tesla will not tolerate a student causing problems on campus. Any students caught breaking any rules will be dealt with accordingly.

If I graduate from Tesla, do I get to have a graduation ceremony?

Yes! The Tesla graduation is very important to students, parents and staff. The Tesla staff goes to great lengths to make graduation as meaningful as possible. You will have a cap and gown ceremony in Roy J. Wasson Academic Campus auditorium. The District 11 Board of Education and the Superintendent will attend your graduation. It does not matter if you graduated in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Trimester, any student who graduated during the current school year is invited to attend graduation in May.

Why do I have to attend an information meeting before I enroll?

Because Tesla is not a traditional school, there are several pro's and con's that families need to consider before enrolling at Tesla. We want the entire family involved in learning what their role will be if you decide to attend Tesla. Tesla is a parent involved school. Parents need to be aware that they will be receiving phone calls on a regular basis, these can be calls about attendance, discipliary issues, or positive calls about your student. Parents will also be held accountable for ensuring that their child is at school on time every day. Students will also be held accountable for grades and attendance. If a student or a parent is not willing to take on the responsibilities that Tesla requires, we do not want you to enroll. We try to be as honest as we can about what is expected, and we want you to be honest about whether Tesla is a good fit for you or not.

Is transportation provided?

Transportation is provided from various District 11 schools around town. Please see our bus schedules to find the closest bus stop to your house. The Bus Routes and Stops are updated at the beginning of every school year. To search for the exact route, please use the District Bus Route and Stop Information page.

If you have more specific questions about buses and bus routes, please contact us at 719.328.3111.

Do you have a waiting list?

Although we try to get as many students in as possible, we have to look at class sizes and availability. If you have come to an information meeting and have made the required call back the next day, we will get your student's transcript to see if we have openings in the classes that they will need to graduate. If we do not have enough room in those classes, we will call to put you on a waitlist. Wait list times will vary by what classes we have openings in. We can only enroll for a short period of time at the beginning of each trimester. We do our best to make room for all students who wish to attend Tesla, but due to our small size, sometimes that is not possible. We will try to get you in as soon as possible.

I am on an IEP. Can I still attend Tesla?

Tesla has only one high school special education teacher, that teacher must first look over your IEP to see if we have the resources to accommodate it at the time. It is best to let us know in advance so that there is time to look and see what availability, if any, we have. We will try to take as many students as we can who are interested in coming to Tesla, as long as we have the resources available to do so.

Do you have sports or other extra-curricular activities?

Tesla has a student council and various clubs that are set up by the students with a teacher advisor. If you would like to participate in sports or other after-school activities, you are able to do those at your home school for District 11. If the activity or sports team you would like to be on is not at your designated home school, you will need to get permission from that school to participate. Even though you are going to Tesla, participation in sports and other activities in District 11 requires you to keep up your grades and attendance to remain eligible. If you fall behind, you will no longer be allowed to participate until you get your grades caught up or you start attending school regularly.