Brighton Standard Blade

12/26/2025

A new deal between Aims Community College and Frontier Airlines should give the school’s Aircraft Maintenance graduates a premium opportunity for new jobs.

A new deal between Aims Community College and Frontier Airlines should give the school’s Aircraft Maintenance graduates a premium opportunity for new jobs.

12/25/2025

Brighton’s Intermountain Health Platte Valley Hospital was named one of the 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report, according to a press release on December 11.

Brighton’s Intermountain Health Platte Valley Hospital was named one of the 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report, according to a press release on December

12/24/2025

Central Elementary School in Commerce City has been under state watch for 13 years, facing the persistent threat that Colorado could force dramatic changes or shut its doors.

On Tuesday, that pressure eased.

Learn more:

Central Elementary School faced potential state-imposed restructuring or closure due to being under state monitoring for over a decade. Colorado State Board of Education recently eased this pressure.

12/24/2025

People who decorate their bodies with tattoos, scars and piercings can count on more stringent health standards in Weld County after new rules went into effect.

People who decorate their bodies with tattoos, scars and piercings can count on more stringent health standards in Weld County after new rules went into effect.

12/13/2025

REMINDER: The first 27J boundary listening session is Monday, Jan. 5.

If your family attends a 27J middle or high school — or will soon — this affects you.

Families will review proposed boundary maps and share feedback with district planners.

Full story: https://www.thebrightonblade.com/news/wicked-problem-or-opportunity-27j-to-redraw-boundaries/article_215b2dfb-c897-4db9-952a-bbc4a84b21ed.html

Home - 27J Schools

12/10/2025

QUESTION for 27J parents:

The district says ALL middle and high school boundaries will change when Rocky Vista and Talon Ridge open.

What matters most to you when boundaries are redrawn?

🚌 Shorter commute
👫 Keeping friend groups together
📚 Access to specific programs
🏫 Smaller class sizes

Link to article: https://www.thebrightonblade.com/news/wicked-problem-or-opportunity-27j-to-redraw-boundaries/article_215b2dfb-c897-4db9-952a-bbc4a84b21ed.html

Drop your answer below.

J district is considering boundary changes for schools, which could alter student school destination as new buildings open under a 2021 approved bond.

12/09/2025

Where your child goes to school in 27J could change in the next two years.

The district is opening new schools funded by a 2021 bond, but enrollment growth has slowed. That means students may have to move from existing schools to fill the new ones.

Superintendent Will Pierce called it "either this incredibly wicked problem or an opportunity to design our future."

Listening sessions are Jan. 5, 6 and 12. Here's what families need to know:

https://www.thebrightonblade.com/news/wicked-problem-or-opportunity-27j-to-redraw-boundaries/article_215b2dfb-c897-4db9-952a-bbc4a84b21ed.html

Are boundary changes on your radar? Tell us in the comments.

J district is considering boundary changes for schools, which could alter student school destination as new buildings open under a 2021 approved bond.

11/20/2025

Adams 12 Five Star Schools is bringing hands-on career exploration to middle school students starting next fall.

Instead of waiting until high school when some students are already behind, sixth graders will soon have access to 3D printers, broadcasting equipment, and entrepreneurship programs.

'Middle school is a challenging time,' says Matt Schmidt, the district's executive director of secondary options and innovative programming, who spent 10 years as principal of an alternative high school.

Six schools will launch programs in 2026, part of a district-wide expansion funded by November's mill levy override and the 2024 bond.

Read more: https://www.thebrightonblade.com/news/adams-12-brings-career-and-tech-training-to-middle-school/article_73d6ee48-991c-511d-8aa9-764c264966ed.html

What do you think - is middle school too early for career exploration, or right on time?

Adams 12 Five Star Schools to launch $2.3 million middle school CTE programs for hands-on learning and career exploration. Initiative aimed at preventing students from falling behind in core subjects and engaging them early on.

11/19/2025

27J's Bromley East Charter School is working to regain the Performance rating it held for five years before the pandemic. The Brighton K-8 school posted a 7.1-point gain on state assessments this year, driven primarily by improvements in academic growth.

The school serves 1,200 students and emphasizes student leadership through programs like WEB Leaders and an expanded Buddy Program that now includes all grades.

Read the full story:

Bromley East Charter School in Brighton is celebrating its 25th anniversary while working to regain the academic standing it held before the COVID-19 pandemic.

11/19/2025

When Mary Hardin accepted her husband's posthumous award earlier this month, she held a plaque printed by the very students he'd spent his final months serving.

Bradley Hardin continued mentoring CTE teachers through terminal cancer, ensuring Brighton students had pathways to careers.

Read the full story: https://www.thebrightonblade.com/news/27j-honors-late-cte-leader-with-posthumous-believer-award/article_98a51c38-ff3e-4704-8e76-79406ab9b316.html

27J Schools

Hardin's impact in Brighton 27J extended beyond his terminal diagnosis, building robust CTE pathways for district students in welding, construction, and engineering.

11/11/2025

What stood out in 27J's superintendent evaluation:

The unusual transparency and collaboration between board and superintendent.

The board openly acknowledged areas where THEY need to improve - admitting some members sometimes overstep into day-to-day operations.

Pierce's response: "Their sins and my sins...are all just really a combination of good people wanting to do their best for everybody."

This kind of honest, collaborative relationship between a board and superintendent is rare. Worth reading about.

Details: https://www.thebrightonblade.com/news/27j-board-extends-pierce-contract-through-2028-compliance/article_59b1e1b0-511b-55e5-ae31-d3cdfff7c44f.html

11/11/2025

27J board extends Superintendent Pierce's contract through 2028

The board praised Pierce's "collaborative leadership" and his 27 years of commitment to the district, while identifying specific goals for improvement in graduation rates and student support.

Key highlights from the evaluation:
✅ Compliant in 9 of 12 areas
✅ Strong financial management and staff relations
✅ SEL scores improved 8.52% district-wide
✅ Board values "high bar" for student success

Areas for growth:
📊 Graduation rates (87.2%, above state's 84.2%)
📊 Social-emotional learning consistency
📊 Academic performance tracking

Pierce's response: New "Thinking Classroom" initiative focuses on early intervention to help students succeed.

"I'm really optimistic and hopeful that we're going to keep moving forward. I think the best is really in front of us."

Full story and board evaluation details:

The 27J Schools board extends Superintendent Will Pierce's contract through 2028, highlighting his strong leadership with some concerns in graduation rates and academic tracking.