"Liberty-based" classical charter opens as first school in Colorado's Sterling Ranch community

August 2, 2026 - 09:04

The ribbon has officially been cut on a new school in Douglas County's fast-growing community of Sterling Ranch. Liberty Classical Academy, which operates on a "liberty-based" educational model, welcomed its first students this week, marking the first school to open within the master-planned community itself.

The charter school focuses on classical education principles, emphasizing grammar, logic, and rhetoric across all grade levels. Its approach also incorporates what administrators call a "liberty-based" philosophy, which stresses individual responsibility, civic virtue, and the foundations of American constitutional government. The curriculum places heavy weight on primary source documents, Western civilization, and the Socratic method.

The school currently serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade, with plans to expand to eighth grade in the coming years. The building features 18 classrooms, a full library, a gymnasium, and dedicated spaces for art and music instruction. Enrollment for the first year stands at just over 300 students, which is roughly half of the building's total capacity.

Sterling Ranch is one of the fastest-developing areas in the Denver metro region, with thousands of new homes either built or under construction. Until now, families in the community had to send their children to schools in nearby Castle Rock or Littleton. The opening of Liberty Classical Academy gives those families a neighborhood option, though it is a charter school, not a traditional district-run campus.

School leaders say they plan to grow alongside the community, adding grade levels and programs as the student population increases. They also intend to host regular open houses for families who want to learn more about the classical model before enrolling their children.