Progress That Demands Vigilance

ADAMS 14 SHOWS PROGRESS, BUT CONCERNS PERSIST

By Jesús Sánchez Meleán

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In 2021, in our editorial titled “El agua que se derrama” (“Spilled Water”), we estimated that it would take until 2030 for the Adams 14 school district to achieve a truly acceptable academic performance and climb out of the pit of institutional neglect. Over the past 15 years, there has been no topic more recurring, painful, and exposed in this publication than the poor educational performance and relentless administrative drama of this Commerce City school district.

Recently, the Colorado Department of Education released the 2026 District Performance Framework results, reflecting favorable news that marks a shift in historical metrics. Among the most notable points in the state report, Central Elementary School stands out for officially exiting critical state monitoring after remaining stuck on the accountability clock for over a decade.

At the same time, the district celebrated its highest graduation rate in two decades, the lowest dropout rate in its history, and modest increases in reading and math scores on the PSAT, SAT, and CMAS standardized tests. Undoubtedly, everything indicates that there has been initial progress that deserves praise. The firmness of Superintendent Karla Loría, supported by local leaders and school board members, managed to halt the forced dissolution of the district and take the first firm steps toward restructuring.

However, intellectual honesty and our editorial commitment require us to place this achievement in its proper perspective. This is a small step forward given the colossal backlog accumulated over more than fifteen years. Compared to all school districts in Colorado, Adams 14’s performance is far from convincing, solid, or satisfactory. Moving beyond a disaster level is not the same as guaranteeing an equitable, top-tier education for the more than 4,700 students who fill its classrooms.

A long and complex road remains in terms of academics, staffing, and infrastructure. This entire process must remain under rigorous and permanent review. The current generation of Commerce City students’ needs the media and the community to stay vigilant. We urgently owe it to past generations of students who were condemned to educational failure by an irresponsible, failed system. We remain attentive; we will not lower our guard.