DENVER — Adams County School District 14 is beginning the process of reorganization after the Colorado State Board of Education voted in May to revoke the district’s accreditation due to years of poor academic performance.
On Monday, Adams 14 received notification from the Colorado Commissioner of Education requiring Adams 14, Mapleton Public Schools, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, and 27J Schools to begin the reorganization process involving Adams 14.
In a news release Tuesday, the district expressed its displeasure with the required process.
“The commissioner’s notice was required to be served upon each school district by the Colorado State Board of Education. The four school districts now must reallocate time, resources, and finances from its students and redirect them toward reorganization efforts. All the school districts agree that the reorganization of Adams 14 is not in the best interest of our students, parents, community, and neighboring districts,” the release said.
This decision comes after years of low academic performance at Adams 14 — so much so that the State Board of Education was required by law to intervene.
District leadership was tasked with coming up with an improvement plan, which would either be approved or denied by the state board. During a meeting on April 14, the state board voted to send Adams 14 back to the drawing board in terms of how they plan to manage the district moving forward.
The reorganization of the district aligns with one of two recommendations made by a state review panel back in March. The second recommendation — which was to close Adams City High School — was taken off the table during the April 14th meeting.
The reorganization process will take more than a year and will include opportunities for community participation, according to the state board. All Adams 14 schools will remain open during the process.
According to the state board, an Organization Planning Committee will be created as the first step in the reorganization process. The committee will include representatives from each contiguous Adams County school district — Mapleton School District, Adams 12 Five Star Schools and Brighton School District 27J.
The committee will develop a plan, and then the community will provide feedback during public hearings, the state board explained. Voters in each of the affected districts will get to approve or disapprove the plan during an election, the state board continued.
