School District 27J

It was a soggy morning for the 27J Transportation Department’s first hiring fair for the 2026-2027 school year but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for first-year bus driver Ramon Menindez to tell potential applicants about the opportunity to start a new career as a bus driver. Ramon left behind a 26-year career as a commercial truck driver to join 27J Schools. His goal was to find a job closer to home after so many years on the road alone. He didn’t expect school bus driving to become such a fulfilling change. “This is my first year here and I’ve really come to enjoy it because the kids make your day,” he said. “If you’re having a bad day, a sad day and the kids are happy to see you, that just turns your whole day around.” So, in addition to finding a flexible, well-paying job that keeps him closer to his own family, he found a new work family. “Don’t miss out on what 27J has to offer, the perks, the family,” Ramon said. “We are truly a family. We watch out for each other. We cover each other’s route when needed and we make sure we get the job done. Every day is not the same. It’s pretty cool.” Couldn’t make it today? A second hiring fair will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, on a hopefully sunnier, Monday, June 8 at the district’s North Transportation Terminal, 88 N. 40th Ave., Brighton, CO.

829 years... If those years could talk, they would tell the stories of first-day nerves and graduation hugs. They would remember students who needed someone to believe in them. They would carry thousands of moments, both big and small, that changed a child’s life forever. Last week, 27J Schools celebrated a remarkable group of retirees whose exactly combined 829 years of service helped shape the heart of our district. As Board of Education member Tracie Alvarado shared during the evening, “27J is better because you were here. Our classrooms are stronger, our hallways are kinder, and our community is better prepared for the future because of your work.” Congratulations on your retirement and everything ahead. Your impact on 27J Schools will carry on! 1 to 9 years of service: Lilia Guimaraes-Weldon Sam Mangrubang Jeannine Romero Lenore Miranda Karen Hucke Brand Carlson Thelma Camacho Michael Brown Kimberly Russo Trudy Foster 10 to 19 years of service: Don Davis Karla Reider Kirsten Ann Cobb Beth Lamy John Layton Robert Mumford Debbie Espinoza Susan Baber Joanne Zigan Maria G. Torres 20+ years of service: Deborah Cutler Marie-Helene Faurie Nancy Astor Barbara Fasbender Alberto Olivarez Maria Dutmer Jennifer Vander Ploeg Deborah Case Alice Day Doreen Davis Kristina Phibbs Kasi Alcorn Dionne McGrady Jennifer Vanderhye Maria Garcia Jennifer Delgado Angelique McGuire Karen Smidt Eric Lambright Maria Salazar Malisa Baldwin Meghan Frenzel Luz Torres Norma Craig Karen Peiker

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This Teacher Appreciation week, we celebrated every 27J teacher for the impact they make each day. Your dedication to students does not go unnoticed, and we are grateful for the care, commitment, and heart you bring to our classrooms. As Superintendent Pierce shared this week, “Teaching is not just what happens when everything goes perfect. It is what happens when the conditions aren’t ideal, when energy is stretched, when circumstances would make it easier to step back… and you lean in anyway.” That resilience and dedication, shared by our teachers district-wide, is reflected in the outstanding teachers nominated by their principals for our Education in Excellence Awards. The nominees were celebrated at a reception this week. To all of our teachers, thank you for continuing to lean in and inspire the next generation. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Excellence in Education award nominees for 2026: Jordanne Blankenship - Brighton High Kristina Burnham - Riverdale Ridge High Jen Ehrlich - Prairie View High Carl Elledge - Henderson Elementary Jordan Freske* - Pennock Elementary Katie Garmatz - Turnberry Elementary Hanna Heilig - Northeast Elementary Michele Hynes - Padilla Elementary Beau Jestice - Innovations and Options Emily Jones - Second Creek Elementary Joshua Kellison - Southeast Elementary Andrea Lopez - Stuart Middle School Shauna Makelky - Reunion Elementary Alicia Marquez - Overland Trail Middle Pamela McNamara - West Ridge Elementary Nicole Morales - Vikan Middle School Charles Oldenkamp* - Quist Middle Gus Ruybal - 27J Online Academy Jennifer Wilson - South Elementary *Excellence in Education nominees also nominated for CDE's Teacher of the Year Award 27J educators also nominated to CDE for Teacher of the Year: Alicia Banuelos, Jessica Beilman, Claudia Felix, Brittany Michaud, Elizabeth Nelson, and Kristi Reynolds.

We’re going to need a bigger keychain. Today, we celebrated the completion of construction on the new Talon Ridge Middle School in Thornton. Community partners, including City of Thornton, Colorado, joined us as our school builder JHL Constructors turned over the keys to this beautiful new school built thanks to community support of the 2021 Bond Program. While Talon Ridge construction was completed as scheduled, the district made the decision last year to delay the opening of the school to fall 2027 because of changes in student enrollment patterns. Talon Ridge won’t sit empty though. It will be home to the school’s principal and planning staff and will have some limited other staff uses over the next year.

This week, Henderson and South Elementary were honored by the Colorado Department of Education for exceptional growth in student academics. Henderson received the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award, which recognizes schools where students are making remarkable academic progress year after year. “It’s one of those things that you feel in the moment... but being recognized for it is a whole different step that shows we are doing the right work,” shared Melynda Boehm, Henderson’s principal. South Elementary earned the Governor’s Center of Excellence Award. This award honors schools that serve large, at-risk student populations and achieve some of the strongest growth in the state. “This recognition is validation of the hard work happening every day, not just from our staff, but from our students, too,” South’s assistant principal Virginia Hinojos shared. Behind both awards is our staff, who believe in each child's potential, and our students, who rise to the challenge. A school community building something with lasting impact, one day at a time. The principals of both schools received the awards during a ceremony held at the Denver Art Museum.

27J Schools honored the best of the best on April 22. Excellence In Education awards were presented to: - Kristina Burnham - BioMedical/Patient Care Tech Teacher at Riverdale Ridge High School - Andrea Lopez - Sixth Grade Science Teacher at Stuart Middle School - Michele Hynes - Teacher for the Center Based Program for Students with Autism at Padilla Elementary School The new award, presented by the 27J Board of Education and Brighton Education Association, was created to honor teachers who demonstrate instructional excellence, a growth mindset, and a commitment to fostering belonging and community partnerships. Recipients were nominated by their school principal. Each teacher was presented flowers, a recognition plaque and is automatically nominated for the 2026 Colorado Teacher of Year.

“I had that power to tell people how I felt and I could change the way people see others who share my background, a Mexican-American Muslim student.” – Nubia G. Nubia, a 27J student enrolled full time at Front Range Community College through the Gateway to College program, is building her path in a way that reflects both who she is and what she has overcome. As a Mexican-American Muslim student, she says her journey has been rooted in representation and connection–wanting others to feel seen, heard and understood. Recently, Nubia was one of only eight students nationally selected as a DREAM Scholar through Achieving the Dream, an opportunity that included weeks working alongside poets and mentors to turn her story into a spoken word piece. Through that process, she reflected on her experiences in middle and high school that shaped how she sees herself and the world. She described the work as “very life changing and liberating,” giving her the space to process her story and find strength in it. Taking the stage at the Achieving the Dream national conference in March, Nubia said she went from feeling unsure to fully confident in her voice. “I got that feeling of yes, I belong here,” she said. In that moment, she was not just sharing her story, but creating space for others who may have felt overlooked or misunderstood. Now, as she prepares to wrap up her junior year, Nubia carries that same purpose forward. Whether through her future studies or a career in communications, she hopes to continue telling stories, building understanding, and uplifting voices that deserve to be heard.

This is what it looks like when local partners sit down together with one goal: doing right by 27J students and families. On March 31, members of the Board of Education met with Adams County Commissioners for a linkage meeting. Linkage meetings have long been a way for the board to hear directly from students, parents, staff, and community members, but this was the first time the 27J Board and Adams County commissioners have joined one together. It’s part of a renewed effort to make sure these meetings aren’t just happening, they’re actually connecting the right people and leading to something meaningful for our community. “These conversations allow us to better serve our constituents,” said board director Melinda Carbajal. “I hope that this work continues to develop and more doors open so we can collectively improve the services we have available for our community.”

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