“Don’t make it worse”: This is how Adams 14 students pleaded with Colorado to keep their schools open

· Apr. 18, 2022, 4:00 am

Parents and educators of the Adams 14 school district spoke up last week as the state board of education met to decide on what to do with the struggling district.

But perhaps the most compelling comments came from Adam 14 students. Dozens submitted public comments to the state board of education about why they wanted their schools to remain open. They cited long-running family ties to schools, concerns about transportation costs and simply that such a move — fully out of their grasp — would feel extremely unfair.

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After hours of public comment and debate, students and their families seem to have prevailed and avoided closure of schools or the district’s reorganization.

District officials will return next month with a detailed plan about how they will improve Adams City High School and who will help them get there.

These are some of the comments from students who spoke up and maybe helped save their school district.

Dear Colorado State board of Education. Closing adams city high school will mean dozens of kids like me will be forced to get an education lesser than the kids around us. its unfair that the other kids in rich areas get a better education because they were born with priviledges; some not MOST of us will never get. Not without the proper education. we are already at a disadvantage. Don't make it worse.

This school means the world to me, growing up I was always moving schools until I got here. The kids are amazing and so are the teachers. They really care about us and we care about them. I grew my love for art in this school and I met the most amazing people of my life here. I would love to keep going here and be the 2nd to graduate in my family by graduating here.

Dear Colorado state board of education, Closing Adams City High School would impact me negativity because I would have to go to a new school and I would be really stressed and have anxiety about meeting new
people and I would always have negative energy and I would have to change about who I am and I don't want to be that person

Closing Adams City High School would impact the student here and I negatively because I've told to some kids in school about situation and what they do if it did happen. Most of them said they would drop out. For me, it would impact me because I struggle to fit in and lose motivation because of the new things I have to get use to.

I like going to this school because my aunts, uncles and my dad all went to achs so it means a lot to me. I plan on graduating with the friends I've had for elevin years. The teachers here not only teach us the subjects, but they teach us how to be good people and more of us want to be somebody because of them

If the schools were to close this would put me and my family in a bad place because my dad wouldn't be able to take my brothers to school. Then he'd have to go to court and he doesn't have time for that. Me and my sister would have to work harder for gas in our cars the gas already went up. I think the schools closing would put many people in a bad place.

My whole family has gone to this school. I would like to continue this. If it were to close, I would lose my friends and my chance to graduate where my father, siblings, aunt, and uncle all graduate from. It would also be hard to get to school. I would have to find transportation and all my family works. I would end up having to go online or something but I struggled all last year online while this year I'm passing and understanding the content. So please don't shut our school down.

You care.

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