ACHS principal, Wesley Paxton has resigned...

Wesley Paxton

After serving the Adams 14 community for six years as ACHS principal, Wesley Paxton has resigned. Mr. Paxton stated that he made this decision with a very heavy heart and that he wants each of his students to know he believes in their ability to succeed and cares about their future. Mr. Paxton has worked tirelessly to bring ACHS to its current state, and he feels confident handing over the leadership role after the completion of this school year.

During his tenure at ACHS, Mr. Paxton had many successes. Among those were hiring dedicated teachers and staff; building partnerships to benefit staff and students (including the CSU Alliance Partnership, Goodwill Youth Opportunity Services, Front Range Community College and Outward Bound); sponsoring the Adams 14 student board of education, which allows for student voices in district governance; and supporting the KIDS First student campaign committee to successfully pass a bond election to build the new ACHS.

In recent years, Mr. Paxton has led an aggressive effort to reduce the number of ACHS students who drop out of school. At the same time, he has increased the number of students graduating from high school. A review of the ACHS rates provides evidence of this improvement in three consecutive years:

• 2009: 69.8% (grad. rate), 6.8% (dropout rate)
• 2008: 58.9% (grad. rate), 8.7% (dropout rate)
• 2007: 54.3% (grad. rate), 10.2% (dropout rate)

Mr. Paxton steadily increased student enrollment at ACHS during the past six years. With the opening of the new high school, enrollment has grown to exceed 1700 students. Mr. Paxton is most proud of creating an academically focused environment at the new ACHS, meeting fantastic students and helping them find success, and building partnerships with community members to support student growth.

The Following is a Letter from ACHS Principal Wesley Paxton:

May 11, 2011

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Community Members,

This is an exciting time of year to be principal of Adams City High School. Each spring, our school celebrates one of the most important events of any student’s life: graduation. This year, as we celebrate a variety of May milestones, I want you to know that this will be my last year as principal of Adams City High School (ACHS).

After serving as ACHS principal for six years, I have chosen to resign my position. I make this decision with a very heavy heart, as I remain steadfast in my belief in the District’s mission to inspire, educate and empower every student to succeed in the 21st Century. It has been my privilege to watch eager freshmen enter the halls of ACHS, and then graduate with skills and experiences that will truly serve them well in attaining powerful futures.

Together, we have enjoyed many bright moments and significant achievements. We built a breathtaking new school to inspire generations, and we created a student board of education to provide youth with a voice in District governance.
We have reduced our dropout rate and increased the number of students graduating from our school. We have offered our students opportunities to complete rigorous programs like International Baccalaureate and community college. Our programs, both academic and extracurricular, have attracted more students each year.

Above all, I am proud of creating an academically-focused environment at the new ACHS, hiring talented and dedicated teachers and staff, meeting fantastic students and helping them find success, and building partnerships with community members to support student growth.

Because of the work we have done together, I feel confident handing over the leadership role of this amazing school. Thank you for your support and your passionate advocacy for excellence for all students. It has been an honor to serve this community.

I look forward to seeing you during our upcoming end of school events.

Sincerely,

Wesley Paxton
ACHS Principal