An exciting opportunity, funded through federal stimulus dollars, is finding its way to students who need it the most in the Adams 14 school district.
While 6,000-plus students call Adams 14 home, numerous students choose a school outside of the district boundaries willingly every year. In 2017, 30 percent of students living within Adams 14’s boundaries sought better options from neighboring districts because parents and families did not want to risk another failed year. With these dollars, more are expected to have transportation options to higher-performing schools.
Eighty-five percent of students attending Adams 14 schools come from low-income backgrounds, and fifty-six percent are English language learners. They deserve more. They deserve better.
Colorado Succeeds supported the Colorado State Board of Education (SBE) decision to authorize a $3 million ESSER Transportation Assistance Grant (ETAG) to support students attending low-performing schools in struggling districts like Adams 14. The grant serves as a way of allowing students to access high-quality learning in neighboring districts through funding for transportation.
The ETAG grant was awarded to a community partnership including Transform Education Now (TEN) and RootED Denver. Both organizations are widely renowned for their rigorous advocacy efforts to improve public education, with TEN serving as the voice of parents, and RootED Denver being a leading advocate for high-quality school options in Denver.
With the grant funding source, this effort is now being called Bright Rides, “We are thrilled to help launch Bright Rides and provide this opportunity for students to attend a high-quality school that they may not otherwise have been able to get to. We are excited to be partnering with HopSkipDrive to make this a reality for families in Adams 14!” Pat Donovan, RootED Denver
Supported by the ETAG grant, Bright Rides will provide free transportation to over 200 students in Adams 14 through HopSkipDrive (HSD), a school transportation service that is trusted by parents throughout the country for its extensive accountability standards and safety record. All drivers from HSD must undergo a meticulous screening process, so parents can rest assured that their children are in good hands.
Currently, transportation with Bright Rides is only available if a student lives within the boundaries of the following schools:
- Alsup Elementary
- Central Elementary
- Rose Hill Elementary
- Adams City High School
- Lester R. Arnold High School
Here is the list of eligible schools students may transfer to in DPS.
Ways to Support
The time to support learners in the Adams 14 school district is now. Bright Rides is made possible thanks to the dynamic collaboration between Transform Education Now and RootED Denver. For more information, please visit brightrides.org to learn more about this impactful initiative to help students in Adams 14 receive free transportation to high-quality Denver Public Schools and help us get the word out!
If you want to help, get the word out, please contact info@brightrides.com or call 720-862-7414.
