The news that Dr. Javier Abrego would no longer lead the came via an offhand remark at the end of a long meeting Tuesday night.
Board of Education President Connie Quintana said Abrego was “out” as superintendent, but that the district hadn’t appointed an interim leader. Abrego’s three-year contract was scheduled to expire June 30, but his last day working full-time was April 3.
Abrego will remain on call while he begins looking for work. If he finds a job before his contract ends, the district won’t have to pay out his salary until June 30.
Darci Mohr, executive director of human resources, will be the “point person” for the district for the time being, Adams 14 spokesman John Poynton said. Mohr previously was superintendent of South Routt School District RE-3.
In November, the Colorado State Board of Education ordered the Adams 14 board to hand over much of the authority for managing the Commerce City-based district to a third party by July 1. The order, the first of its kind in Colorado, came after years of poor test scores and low graduation rates, as well as a federal civil rights investigation.
It’s not clear if the district also will seek to hire a superintendent to succeed Abrego. Under the state board’s order, the third party will perform many of the duties of a superintendent.
“I’m not aware of any search at this point,” Poynton said.
Barb McDowell, president of the Adams 14 teachers union, said Abrego was unable to stop high rates of turnover in the district, especially in the central office.
“He came in with good intentions… but was unable to earn the trust and the relationships with the community,” she said.
