On this day 234 years ago, the leaders of the Continental Congress voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence. The declaration provided the foundation for and outlined the ideas and ideals for the birth of a new nation – the United States of America. Certainly the history of the United States is imperfect, but today we can all be proud that the Founding Fathers showed courage in the face of extreme adversity.

Years later, in 1788, the fledgling government of the United States of America would ratify its new Constitution. The newly independent nation came face-to-face with a daunting challenge: how to build a united nation from 13 colonies with little in common. Many citizens believed education held the key. Among the priorities set by the Founding Fathers and leading thinkers was establishing an American public school system.

I have indeed two great measures at heart, without which no republic can maintain itself in strength:
1. That of general education, to enable every man to judge for himself what will secure or endanger his freedom.
2. To divide every county into hundreds, of such size that all the children of each will be within reach of a central school in it.
            ~ Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the first to support a system of tax-supported schools that would mix people of different backgrounds and reinforce the bonds that tie Americans together. Over half a century passed before Horace Mann successfully pushed for laws requiring state financial support of education and compulsory student attendance in non-sectarian schools in 1852.

As the United States expanded westward, the seed was planted that grew to become Adams County School District 14. As early as 1850, settlers began farming along the Sand Creek area. Amid sparse prairie homesteads, Adams County and Adams County School District 14 were officially organized in 1902. In 1903, the Adams Land and Improvement Company established the City of Adams at the dirt intersection of 69th Avenue, Dahlia Street and Brighton Road, consisting of a grocery store, a blacksmith shop, four residences, and a short railroad siding. 1906…the first District 14 grammar school was built. A four-room brick schoolhouse sat in the middle of the prairie at the current location of 69th and Cherry. Eight grades were divided among three of the four rooms. In 1908, twelve high school students began using the fourth room until 1916 when a new high school was built. The high school became its own school district, Union District 1, and had its own board of education. In 1910, basketball was the first sport played at Union High School.

In the early 1900s, nearly three million immigrant children arrived in the U.S. Public schools offered a golden opportunity for them – a chance to be a part of the American Dream. Not only was immigration contributing to the massive growth in public schools, but new child labor laws and the growth of cities also fueled school attendance.

Out West, things were beginning to change. In the 1920s, the automobile and tractor began to replace horses in the farming community. Soon, oil refineries industrialized the area and the settlement was called Commerce Town. During the Great Depression unemployment ran high, taxes went unpaid, and the public school system suffered. In the midst of the Great Depression, Adams City School District 14 was the first school district in the county to receive Works Progress Administration funds in 1936. The federal funding was used to remodel the local high school, adding more classrooms, a stage, and a gymnasium.

In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education.
            ~ Chief Justice Earl Warren

As Adams 14 grew in the Baby Boom of the 1950s, many news schools were built, including Rose Hill Elementary, Central Elementary, Dupont Elementary, Monaco Elementary, Kearney Middle and Adams City Middle.

We have always believed that our people can stand on no higher ground than the school ground, or can enter any more hopeful room than the classroom. We blend time and faith and knowledge in our schools – not only to create educated citizens, but also to shape the destiny of this great Republic.
            ~ President Lyndon Johnson

In the early 1970s, Adams County School District 14, by then a large suburban school district, had nearly 800 employees in 11 schools and an enrollment of nearly 7,000 students. The school board had its first discussions regarding the testing of students and the improvement of the educational programs in the District. On the national stage, a new wave of education reform swept the nation – a reform movement that continues in the present day.

Here in Adams 14, the vision of the Founding Fathers lives on…

Board of Education Goal 1: to ensure all students will be at or above grade level.
Adams 14 Mission: Adams 14, in partnership with the community, will inspire, educate and empower every student to succeed in the 21st Century.

Take a moment this holiday weekend to reflect on the value of the work we do in Adams 14. There is no higher calling than education. When school resumes in August, more than 7,000 students will attend school in our classrooms – some just beginning their educational journey and some beginning their senior year on the path to graduation. In Adams 14, students are provided a wealth of opportunities to succeed.

If you want to learn more about the students we serve and the opportunities for them to earn their diploma and become an educated member of our representative democracy, watch the latest special edition of The Adams 14 Report. Prior to graduation, Director of Communications John Albright interviewed five graduates of the Class of 2010, each of whom found a different path to earning a diploma. It is truly inspiring to hear from our graduates about their experiences and about their excitement to become the leaders of this community.

This Independence Day be inspired by our history.