Colorado Board Of Education Orders Independent Evaluation Of Adams 14 School District
DENVER (CBS4) - On the heels of Adams 14's vote to terminate a contract between the district and an independent management company, the state Board of Education has ordered a review of the district.
On Tuesday, CBS4 reported that the board voted to terminate after an independent audit identified concerns MGT Consulting, LLC mismanaged school funds and did not properly benefit students. School officials say there is now a criminal investigation being conducted by the Adams County District Attorney. The termination is effective on April 11.
Adams 14 has received priority improvement or turnaround ratings, which are the lowest ratings on the state's accountability metric, each year since 2010.
"We are deeply concerned about the lack of focus on students and their needs by the district's leaders," State Board of Education Chairwoman Angelika Schroeder said in a news release Tuesday. "The adults have been investigating and fighting each other, and our students, families, district staff and teachers have been left with inconsistent information, staff who are pulled away from their core work, and a focus on other things besides providing support and strong learning environments for students. Clearly a different direction is needed in the district. I look forward to the State Review Panel helping us determine if we need to take more drastic action in order to support students."
The board requested an update in February and the state's report before the March 2022 board meeting.
