
New charter school John Adams Academy sparks debate in Colorado's Sterling Ranch community
A tuition-free public K-12 charter school, John Adams Academy, has been approved to open in 2026 on 25 acres of land in Douglas County donated by Sterling Ranch LLC. The school will be located in Sterling Ranch, south of Waterton Road and adjacent to Ascent Village.
John Adams Academy was approved by the Colorado Charter School Institute last month after being released to the state authorizer by the Douglas County School District. Some community members say that process didn't allow them to fully voice concerns over where their tax dollars were going.
A DCSD public elementary school funded by a bond passed last year is set to open in Sterling Ranch in fall of 2027, to the relief of parents in the growing community who have been advocating for a neighborhood school.
But now, John Adams Academy will open a year earlier in 2026, drawing strong opinions from community members.
"This doesn't seem like it would align with our values as a family," said Tracy Meier, a mom of two in Solstice, a community next to Sterling Ranch that is a feeder to the incoming DCSD neighborhood school.
"I think communities thrive with optionality," said Asa Dyer, Sterling Ranch father of a 17-month-old.
John Adams Academy focuses on a classical "liberty-based" education, with a classical liberal arts curriculum. John Adams Academy has multiple campuses in California.
"We definitely are very interested in that school," Dyer said. "I like the idea of having, really kind of classical fundamentals when it comes to education. I think it makes a lot of sense. And I think when you have little kids, you're really, focused on some of the basics and stuff like reading, writing, math."
While Dyer is excited for the school to open near his home, some of his neighbors have concerns about the charter, which states its mission is "restoring America's heritage by developing servant leaders."
"The concern really started based on their belief of restoring American heritage, which most people think America still has a heritage. They don't have to restore it," said Sterling Ranch resident Sheryl Pattek.
While Pattek does not have young kids, she says education is an important part of the community, and she wants to ensure it is "fair and unbiased."
"It talks a lot about, you know, the classical education. And getting back to the founding of America, and the love for America, things like that. It doesn't explicitly talk about, you know, religion and things like that, but there were kind of some underlying words that led me to believe that it was more based off of faith," said Meier.
"John Adams Academy teaches history through original source documents and a classical liberal arts framework that emphasizes critical thinking, civic virtue, and the study of enduring ideas. While we celebrate the founding principles of the United States, our goal is to cultivate thoughtful, informed citizens, not to promote a political ideology," Kim Gilmartin, founding board member of John Adams Academy Douglas County, told CBS Colorado in a statement.
Meier and Pattek would rather see the land and public school funding go to a different school. Meier worries the school may not be inclusive and would cater education plans to specific groups.
"As a public charter school, JAA Douglas County will provide all required special education and support services in compliance with federal and state laws. We are committed to serving all students, including those with disabilities, English language learners, and academically diverse learners, through a Multi-Tiered System of Supports and a dedicated special education team," Gilmartin told CBS Colorado.
Meier and Pattek say they are some of several community members who felt there was not enough transparency or community input in the approval process.
"I do feel like there should have been public input from, all the people that have a ton of kids in the community," said Meier.
Gilmartin said that during the approval process for the Douglas County campus, "the community had multiple opportunities to participate, including written feedback, public comment at several CSI board meetings, and a public community meeting on May 19."
When CBS Colorado reached out, a DCSD spokesperson referred any questions about John Adams Academy to CSI. CSI did not respond to a request for comment.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the John Adams Academy in Roseville, California, has a math proficiency score of 42% and reading proficiency score of 56%. That same report shows the Douglas County School District has a math proficiency score of 51% and reading proficiency score of 61%.
Pattek questions "Why would you invest in a school that's not demonstrating the success of their curriculum?"
Gilmartin says, "John Adams Academy's California schools consistently meet their academic growth targets and have earned the highest rating possible among charter schools in California."
"Community schools kind of make the communities run. And with charter schools, I'm not against all charter schools, just this one in particular. It takes money from the public schools," said Meier.
Because the school was released from DCSD and approved by the state authorizer, no district funding will go to John Adams Academy, but it will use state and federal tax dollars.
Gilmartin says the school will be funded "primarily through public tax dollars. This includes state per-pupil revenue and mill levy equalization funds." They say the school will also get some federal funds and are applying for a federal Charter School Program grant.
Sterling Ranch Development Company President Brock Smethills told CBS Colorado that, "Sterling Ranch Development Company supports school choice and strives to offer a variety of school options within our community. We trust parents to decide what is best for their children's education."
According to Smethills, DCSD estimates Sterling Ranch will eventually need three elementary schools, one middle and one high school. But the district's 10-year capital plan only identifies the one elementary school already planned for Sterling Ranch, and a middle and high school campus.
Smethills said "With the above understanding that it is unlikely that DSCD will have the resources to build additional elementary schools, we have decided to partner with qualified charters to offer school choice within the area."
Regarding concern that the land donated to John Adams Academy was reserved for a DCSD school, Smethills said:
"Sterling Ranch Development Company staff has discussed a variety of potential school sites throughout the master plan over the past ten-plus years with multiple DSCD superintendents and staff members. While this is one of the sites that could have been a future DCSD school, this land was never reserved nor donated to Douglas County for a DCSD school.
Additionally, Sterling Ranch LLC has voluntarily paid DCSD approximately $5.5 million in voluntary Capital Mitigation Fees since 2015, which is far greater than the fair market value of all five of the school sites that Sterling Ranch would be required to donate to DCSD. Despite that, we have every intention of donating the land to DCSD for the Middle School & High School campus when DCSD has the appropriate resources to construct it."
Dyer is excited for the education options the charter brings.
"We want to be able to have the option based on what our kids' interests are and what their education style is and what best suits them," said Dyer. "Whether it's public or charter, I just think it's so awesome to live in a community that has both, like, that's a huge deal and huge value proposition for us to be here."
Still, some families are disappointed that John Adams will be the first school to open in their neighborhood.
"In general, we prefer to have public schools rather than a charter school that has a bias inherent in it," said Pattek.
"John Adams Academy seems to be putting John Adams Academy at the center of everything they do, and not the kids or the community," said Meier.
Once the charter contract for John Adams Academy is finalized, construction on the school is expected to begin in September.
Right now the school is collecting expressions of interest from families. When the official application opens, which is expected to happen in October, families who have expressed interest will be notified. In February 2026, John Adams Academy will conduct a blind, random lottery if demand exceeds available seats, and the school plans to open to students in August of next year.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox News
32 minutes ago
- Fox News
Tulsi Gabbard's allegations and ‘conspiracy theories' on Russia hoax is ‘dangerous', Democratic lawmaker warns
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., discusses the Trump-Russia collusion narrative and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's accusations against Obama-era officials on 'Fox News Sunday.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Taliban are remaking Afghanistan in their image. It should have us all worried
This article first appeared on our partner site, Independent Persian Since returning to power, the Taliban has made spreading its ideology a key priority. From prisons and rehab facilities to military bases, 'religious education' is becoming a cornerstone of Afghanistan's institutions. By introducing courses in Quranic recitation and exegesis, as well as broader religious instruction, the group aims to bring more Afghans closer to its strict interpretation of Islam and convince them of the merits of its fundamentalist approach. Recently, images of the 'graduation ceremony' of 100 people undergoing treatment for drug addiction at a rehab centre in the western province of Herat were widely promoted in media outlets affiliated with the group. The 'graduands' had completed courses in the correct recitation and pronunciation of the Quran. The ceremony, which also marked the end of their time at the facility, featured white clothing, traditional caps and Taliban flags. Syed Asif, one of the participants on the course who was a patient at the centre, told Independent Persian: 'I'm currently undergoing treatment and have now been able to quit drugs. During this time, I started reading the Holy Quran and memorised many of its parts.' Hayatullah Rouhani, the anti-narcotics chief in the city of Herat, said authorities aim to provide opportunities for religious learning in the rehabilitation process for those struggling with addiction. In addition to offering Quranic instruction, the Taliban also held singing sessions for some of the patients. They were instructed to sign anthems that glorified the group's 20-year war against the former Afghan government and Western forces, recounting bombings, suicide attacks and bloody battles. These songs serve to promote the Taliban's 'jihadist narrative' and legitimise violence. What's concerning is not the introduction of religious education in itself, but the content and nature of what is taught. It is a curriculum designed to push society towards extremism and create fertile ground for Taliban recruitment. During the group's insurgency against the previous government, religious schools were key recruiting hubs. These institutions distort Islamic teachings and glorify violence, preparing students for war and carrying out suicide missions. Their goal is to build a society not just politically dominated by the Taliban, but intellectually and ideologically shaped by its worldview Now that the Taliban have full control of public schools, religious institutions, universities, prisons and rehab centres across Afghanistan, their primary focus has been imposing a rigid, hardline interpretation of Islam. Their goal is to build a society not just politically dominated by their organisation, but intellectually and ideologically shaped by its worldview. The Taliban's expansion of religious education isn't confined to prisons and rehab centres. There has been a sharp increase in the number of mosques and religious schools across the country. The presence of senior Taliban officials at graduation ceremonies, both in religious schools and for religious courses in detention or rehab centres, makes it clear that spreading their version of Islam through 'religious education' is a top priority. These officials have repeatedly called on people to study religion, but with the proviso that this is done according to the Taliban's own interpretation of Islam, which diverges significantly from mainstream Islamic teachings in much of the Muslim world. The growing emphasis on this specific brand of religious education, centred on the Taliban's radical interpretation of Islam, raises serious concerns about the normalisation of religious extremism. By promoting slogans like 'implementing sharia law' and 'establishing an Islamic system', the Taliban is trying to win over more Afghan citizens to its radical ideology and expand the social base it needs to sustain its political and military power. Reviewed by Tooba Khokhar and Celine Assaf


Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
Why progressives fail homeless Americans and attack effective alternatives
In Denver, Colorado – a city that prides itself on inclusion, compassion and progressive ideals – a Christian coffee shop owner has become the target of hostility; it's not for what he's done wrong, but for what he's done right. Jamie Sanchez launched The Drip Cafe as an employment-training program for those struggling with homelessness who want to rebuild their lives. More than just offering a job, the café provides mentorship, structure and consistent support to equip team members to reenter the workforce and to attain long-term employment and stability. But for dozens of far-left activists in Denver, ideological conformity overshadows the measurable good of helping the homeless of the streets. Protesters are regularly showing up at his café, accusing him of bigotry and calling for boycotts due to his biblical stance on sexuality. In Seattle, Andrea Suarez leads a highly effective grassroots effort to clear homeless encampments and connect the homeless into treatment and other services – We Heart Seattle. In return, she and her volunteers face relentless protests and hostility from far-left extremists. Rather than encouraging their efforts, activists recently shoved Andrea into the street and threatened her with kidnapping. Apparently, they prefer to let their homeless neighbors languish in tents and addiction. It should not be lost on us that those protesting – and even engaging in violence – are not lifting a finger to help the people they claim to champion. They're not offering shelter, treatment or support. They're simply demanding more money for the same failed policies that have driven this crisis to historic levels. Meanwhile, those doing the hard and healing work are treated not as partners, but as pariahs. This moment reveals something increasingly corrosive in American life: the progressive left's unwavering loyalty to ideology over outcomes, with no regard for the financial nor the human cost. Homelessness is a searing national emergency sprawled across our streets, endlessly debated yet persistently ignored. Cities like Denver and Seattle have thrown billions at the crisis, clinging to a rigid, one-size-fits-all policy approach rooted in progressive ideology. This approach – Housing First – became federal policy in 2013. It provides permanent, taxpayer-funded housing without requiring sobriety, treatment or employment. Ever. In practice, it has become "housing only." Passionately championed as the silver bullet to homelessness, it has proven to be anything but. Yet within left-wing policy circles, it remains unquestioned gospel, immune to scrutiny and divorced from results. Since adopting Housing First, homelessness has reached its highest level ever recorded in our nation's history, including a 58% increase in the unsheltered population. In Seattle, unsheltered homelessness rose by 88%; in Denver, it more than tripled. Still, the left clings to the ideology. Billions be damned and outcomes be damned. Which brings us back to Jamie and Andrea. Their steady and steadfast hands have brought hope, stability and tangible support to people who are left to languish on sidewalks. They offer relationship and support, not red tape. Yet the progressive left condemns them because they don't wear the correct ideological uniform. Across America, programs such as these – with proven track records of moving people from homelessness to stability through sobriety, job training, counseling and accountability – are not just denied public funding, but they are systematically ostracized from the systems charged with ending homelessness. Why? Their expectations around personal responsibility – sobriety, work and accountability – are dismissed as too demanding by progressive standards, even though these very principles are the foundation of lasting recovery and independence. In homelessness, not unlike today's policy climate overall, ideological conformity takes precedence over real-world results, even if it means keeping people trapped in cycles of addiction, instability, and despair. It is cruelty wearing a mask of virtue. By demonizing those who operate outside the rigid confines of left-wing homeless orthodoxy, we're stifling innovation and punishing the very people trying to help, while abandoning the vulnerable they serve. Jamie Sanchez and Andrea Suarez should be celebrated – not vilified – for stepping boldly into the suffering of their communities, guided by compassion, courage and a relentless commitment to restoring broken lives. They aren't pontificating from the sidelines or waiting on government mandates. They are in the trenches, delivering real, effective solutions where bureaucracy has failed. In clinging to purity tests, the progressive left isn't just missing the point – they're standing in the way. It's sabotage. And it's the homeless who pay the highest price.