ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — Adams County School District 14 said its external management company, MGT, will leave its role with the district at the end of the week.
The move comes after Adams 14 fired MGT on Jan. 11. The agreement was set to end on April 11, but MGT has elected to depart on Friday, the district said.
"The announcement comes after MGT’s respected team of former superintendents and instructional experts spent more than two years working alongside Adams 14 teachers and administrators to increase graduation rates, decrease dropout rates, and increase services for students, particularly students learning English," MGT said in a press release Sunday. "The decision was made with an eye on protecting the safety, well-being, and reputation of our employees."
The district said at the time of the firing that there was a "pattern of misconduct" by MGT. The district also claimed MGT was making decisions without the school board's approval.
After firing MGT, Adams 14 sought permission from the Colorado State Board of Education to find a replacement management company. The state board denied that request for now, opting to begin a process that will culminate with an April hearing.
Now, the district said, the Adams 14 school board and superintendent will be making day-to-day management decisions.
The district said they aim to minimize disruptions throughout the transition, and teaching and learning in Adams 14 schools will continue as normal.
The district said in the coming weeks, they will conduct a series of community meetings to explain next steps and seek community input.
A 2018 state order had required the district to find a management partner to reverse longstanding struggles in student academic performance. The state board issued that order to help the district improve student performance after receiving "priority improvement" or "turnaround" ratings – the lowest ratings on the state’s accountability system – since 2010.
The district temporarily lost accreditation after missing an Oct. 1 deadline to submit a joint letter demonstrating that it was working collaboratively with MGT. That accreditation was restored when the district and MGT submitted the letter several days later.
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