DENVER – The Colorado Board of Education upheld Adams 14 School District’s denial of an application for a new charter high school.

The vote was 5-3.

In its announcement, the board said enrollment for Be the Change Community School was too low. In November, the Adams 14 board denied the application for several reasons. One was low enrollment projections. Another was financial issues. Also, the board cited few community members on the school’s governing board and a lack of a facility.

“The SBOE’s denial of Be The Change Community School’s appeal supports the enormous concerns the Adams 14 board of education had involving the application," said a press statement from Adams 14 attorney Joe Salazar. The Adams 14 Board of Education takes its responsibility seriously to ensure that our community and students are well served by any entity offering education services within the district. We are particularly pleased that the state board’s vote also was a tacit rejection of Colorado state board of education member Steve Durham’s unprofessional comments about the district prior to the vote."

A school spokesman was “disappointed with the board vote.”

“We are committed to our Commerce City community, and this is simply a hurdle to get over,” Amanda Gonzales said. “We heard loud and clear from the district and the state board that this decision today isn’t a ‘no,’ it’s a ‘not yet.’ 

The school’s website touts development of confidence, the ability for self-understanding and co-designed programming with community service in mind. The school wanted to open time for the 2023-2024 school year. The website also mentions “cultivating shapers of change who lean toward justice” and a belief that “to create change, we must illuminate and cultivate the gifts of our children, our community and our ancestors.”

“We are meeting to determine our next steps and are excited to bring an innovative school model that is rooted in culture and community to the Adams 14 district,” Gonzales said.

.