Merit Academy: A Story of Perseverance tells the eventful story of how citizens in the small community of Woodland Park realized a gap in educational options. Determined to meet the needs of families, they worked against all odds so that families wouldn’t have to drive their children long distances to other communities. Read about Merit Academy’s unique journey to seek authorization to open as a public school and its challenges in finding a location. Merit Academy’s story is the eighth issue of the Colorado Schools Profiles series.