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Dinosaur residents will have to wait at least two more weeks before the school board decides the fate of their school.

The Moffat County School District Board of Education met Thursday night to discuss whether to shut down Dinosaur Community Charter School.

The board didn't make a decision about the future of the school Thursday, voting unanimously to defer a decision until it meets later this month.

Board members said the deferral would allow Dinosaur community members to consider going to an online school format, rather than a traditional school.

Board President Jo Ann Baxter said after the meeting that she would support the online option, if it would mean a conclusion to years of debate about what to do with the Dinosaur school.

Dinosaur residents, about 20 of whom made the 90-mile drive to attend the meeting, said they weren't sure about changing from a traditional school to an online school.

"I think it's going to be tough to put kids in front of a computer (for an entire school day)," said Richard Blakley, president of the Dinosaur Community Charter School board and the school's founder.

The charter school opened before the 2004-05 school year. The school's opening came a year after the school district closed Dinosaur Elementary, citing declining enrollment and difficulty hiring teachers.

When the charter school opened, it entered into a three-year contract with the school district. The contract is set to expire at the end of next school year.

The board revoked the school's charter in November 2005 because of what the school district says is consistent non-compliance with state and federal law. That non-compliance could have repercussions for the entire district, officials say.

District officials say the school's special education program in particular has failed to live up to state standards.

The school's staff and Dinosaur community members, however, contend that every time the school meets a standard, the district tells them there are more places where the school is out of compliance. They also contend that the school district has not been willing to help them meet those standards.

In June, the Colorado State Charter Institute denied the school's application for charter, citing many of the same concerns the school district has.

Dinosaur parents and principal Jeff Bollinger said Thursday that they are willing and able to make their school comply with the law.

"We don't deny that there were compliance issues in the past," Bollinger said.

But he said they have worked to get the school in compliance.

Edie Jansen, the school's special services coordinator, said they try to work with the district to get into compliance, but the district isn't willing to help.

"If we're going to work together, they need to work with us and not begrudge that we need their help," Jansen said after the meeting.

State Sen. Jack Taylor, R-Steam--boat Springs, attended Thursday's meeting and said there were some communication problems between the school district and Dinosaur residents.

Taylor said if the school needs help getting into compliance, the district should be willing to help them "as long as they're a part of the Moffat school district."

Superintendent Pete Berg--mann said the district has had to have excessive involvement to get the school in compliance and in order to get the school to abide by its contract with the district.

"It is not our responsibility to teach you how to follow the written contract that you've signed," Bergmann said.

Whatever the school board decides about Dinosaur's future later this month, Dinosaur residents said they plan to continue fighting to keep the school open.

Blakley said that could mean appealing to the Colorado Board of Education or taking the fight to court.

"We won't give up," Blakley said. "It's our kids. It's our future."