Colorado John Irwin Schools of Excellence Awards

John Irwin was born in Kansas in 1926 and went on to earn a chemical engineering degree from the University of Kansas. He continued his education at Harvard where he earned an MBA. In 1971, the Irwin family moved to Colorado where John continued his career at Kodak's new plant in Windsor.

After a long and successful career at Kodak, he retired and successfully ran for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives, serving three terms. John Irwin served on the state accountability committee, the House Education committee and was the 1992 co-sponsor of a charter school bill, with then Senator Bill Owens, that did not at that time become law. After the untimely death of John Irwin, the bill was carried with bi-partisan support the following year by then-Senator Bill Owens and Representative Peggy Kerns. John Irwin was a true charter school visionary and pioneer, as the law when finally adopted, was only the third such law in the nation. Irwin believed strongly in parental involvement in education and empowering self-governing schools. Irwin loved learning and believed reading was the basis of a solid education. Having benefited from a solid education himself, John worked tirelessly to make sure every child in every part of this state received a high-quality education.

During all of the years Rep. Irwin served Colorado in the legislature, education was his passion. In his final year, in addition to co-sponsoring the precursor to the Charter School Act, John Irwin also sponsored legislation creating the Excellent Schools Program, which through subsequent legislation evolved into the Colorado John Irwin Schools of Excellence Awards program.

• 2022 John Irwin Award Recipients
• 2019 John Irwin Award Recipients
• 2018 John Irwin Award Recipients 
• 2017 John Irwin Award Recipients
• 2016 John Irwin Award Recipients

• 2014 John Irwin Award Recipients
• 2013 John Irwin Award Recipients
• 2012 John Irwin Award Recipients
• 2011 John Irwin Award Recipients
• 2008 John Irwin Award Recipients

Academy 20

• Antelope Trails Elementary School
• Challenger Middle School
• Chinook Trail Elementary School
• Discovery Canyon Campus Elementary School
• Discovery Canyon Campus Middle School
• Eagleview Middle School
• Foothills Elementary School
• Mountain View Elementary School
• Pine Creek High School
• Ranch Creek Elementary School
• Rockrimmon Elementary School
• TCA College Pathways
• The Classical Academy Charter
• The Classical Academy Middle School
• The Classical Academy High School

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

• Coyote Ridge Elementary School
• Hulstrom Options K-8 School
• Meridian Elementary School
• Silver Creek Elementary
• Stargate Charter School
• Thunder Vista P-8

Adams-Arapahoe 28J

• Aurora Quest K-8

Aspen 1

• Aspen Community Charter School

Boulder Valley RE-2​

• Bear Creek Elementary School
• Boulder Community School/Integrated Studies
• Boulder Universal
• Creekside Elementary School at Martin Park
• Eisenhower Elementary School
• Eldorado K-8 School
• Fairview High School
• Fireside Elementary School
• Flatirons Elementary School
• Foothill Elementary School
• High Peaks Elementary School
• Horizon's K-8 School
• Jamestown Elementary School
• Kohl Elementary School
• Mesa Elementary School
• Monarch High School
• Southern Hills Middle School
• Summit Middle Charter School
• Superior Elementary School

Charter School Institute

• Colorado Early Colleges Douglas County
• Colorado Early Colleges Online Campus
• Mountain Middle School
• Steamboat Montessori

Cherry Creek 5

• Altitude Elementary School
• Black Forest Elementary School
• Campus Middle School
• Challenge School
• Cherry Creek Charter Academy
• Cherry Hills Village Elementary School
• Cottonwood Creek Elementary School
• Dry Creek Elementary School
• Heritage Elementary School
• Homestead Elementary School
• Walnut Hills Elementary School
• Willow Creek Elementary School

Cheyenne Mountain 12

• Broadmoor Elementary School
• Cheyenne Mountain Elementary School
• Cheyenne Mountain High School
• Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School
• Gold Camp Elementary School
• Pinon Valley Elementary School

Delta County 50(J)

• Delta Academy of Applied Learning

Denver Public Schools

• Bradley International School
• Bromwell Elementary School
• Cory Elementary School
• Creative Challenge Community
• Denver Green School Northfield
• Denver School Of The Arts
• DSST: Cedar Middle School
• Lincoln Elementary School
• Morey Middle School
• Park Hill School
• Polaris Elementary School

Denver Public Schools

• Slavens K-8 Schooll
• Southmoor Elementary School
• Steck Elementary School
• Steele Elementary School
• Swigert International School
• University Park Elementary School
• Valdez Elementary School
• Westerly Creek Elementary
• William (Bill) Roberts ECE-8 School

District 49

• Pikes Peak Early College 

Douglas County RE-1

• Academy Charter School
• American Academy
• Bear Canyon Elementary School
• Ben Franklin Academy
• Buffalo Ridge Elementary School
• Challenge To Excellence Charter School
• Cherry Valley Elementary School
• Copper Mesa Elementary School
• Coyote Creek Elementary School
• Eagle Ridge Elementary School
• Eldorado Elementary School
• Flagstone Elementary School
• Franktown Elementary School
• Gold Rush Elementary
• Heritage Elementary School
• Lone Tree Elementary
• Mountain Ridge Middle School
• North Star Academy
• Northeast Elementary School
• Northridge Elementary School
• Parker Core Knowledge Charter School
• Platte River Charter Academy
• Ranch View Middle School
• Redstone Elementary School
• Renaissance Secondary School
• Rock Canyon High School
• Rock Heights Middle School
• Saddle Ranch Elementary School
• Sand Creek Elementary School
• STEM School Highlands Ranch
• Stone Mountain Elementary
• Summit View Elementary School
• Timber Trail Elementary School
• Wildcat Mountain Elementary School

Eads RE-1

• Eads Elementary School
• Eads Middle School

Eagle County Re 50

• Eagle County Charter Academy

Eaton RE-2

• Benjamin Eaton Elementary School

Englewood 1

• Englewood Leadership Academy

Gunnison Watershed RE1J

• Crested Butte Secondary School

Harrison 2

• James Irwin Elementary School-Astrozon
• The Vanguard School (Middle)
• The Vanguard School (High)

Idalia RJ-3

• Bergen Valley Intermediate School

Jefferson County R-1

• Bergen Valley Intermediate School
• Bradford K8 North
• Bradford K8 South
• Dennison Elementary School
• D'evelyn Junior/Senior High School
• Devinny Elementary School
• Evergreen High School
• Evergreen Middle School
• Fairmount Elementary School
• Hackberry Hill Elementary School
• Jefferson Academy High School
• Kyffin Elementary School
• Manning Options School
• Maple Grove Elementary School
• Marshdale Elementary School
• Meiklejohn Elementary
• Mitchell Elementary School
• Paramalee Elementary School
• Ralston Elementary School
• Red Rocks Elementary School
• Rooney Ranch Elementary School

Jefferson County R-1

• Shaffer Elementary School
• Sierra Elementary School
• Ute Meadows Elementary School
• West Jefferson Elementary School
• West Woods Elementary School
• Westridge Elementary School
• Wilmot Elementary School

Karval RE-23

• Karval Junior-Senior High School

Lewis-Palmer 38

• Bear Creek Elementary School
• Lewis-Palmer Elementary School
• Prairie Winds Elementary School
• Ray E Kilmer Elementary School

Littleton 6

• Heritage High School
• John Wesley Powell Middle School
• Littleton Academy
• Lois Lenski Elementary School
• Newton Middle School
• Runyon Elementary School
• Sandburg Elementary School
• Wilder Elementary School

Mesa County Valley 51

• Broadway Elementary School
• New Emerson School at Columbus
• Scenic Elementary School
• Wingate Elementary School

Plateau Valley 50

• Plateau Valley Junior High School

Poudre R-1

• Bethke Elementary School
• Cache La Poudre Middle School
• Compass Community Collaborative School
• Dunn Elementary School
• Fort Collins Montessori School
• Fossil Ridge High School
• Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School
• Liberty Common Charter School
• McGraw Elementary School
• Riffenburgh Elementary School
• Shepardson Elementary School
• Traut Core Elementary School
• Werner Elementary School
• Zach Elementary School

Pueblo County 70

• The Connect Charter School

Ridgway R-2

• Ridgway High School
• Ridgway Middle School

Salida R-32

• Crest Academy 

St. Vrain Valley RE-1J

• Altona Middle School
• Black Rock Elementary
• Blue Mountain Elementary
• Erie Elementary School
• Fall River Elementary School
• Highlands Elementary School
• Hygiene Elementary School
• Lyons Elementary School
• Niwot Elementary School
• Red Hawk Elementary
• St. Vrain Virtual High School

Steamboat Springs RE-2

• North Routt Community Charter School

Telluride R-1

• Telluride Middle School

Thompson R2-J

• Berthoud Elementary School

Weld RE-4

• Windsor Charter Academy Early College High School
• Windsor Charter Academy Elementary School
• Windsor Charter Academy Middle School