By Matt Barnum, Chalkbeat Colorado Related Articles Education | Denver school board set to revisit 2020 ban on armed police in schools Education | Charter school centering Black students misses enrollment target, won’t open in Denver this fall For decades the phrase “private religious charter school” seemed like an oxymoron. Charter schools are deemed public by state law, and must be secular just like any other public school. Now, there’s a burgeoning effort to change that.