WEEK OF JUNE 19, 2025
VOLUME 80 | ISSUE 35
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What’s next for Adams 12? Chris Gdowski on leading the Five Star District through change BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SUZIE@COTLN.ORG
Thorntonfest festival attendees took a break from wandering activity tents to look at some locally-owned classic cars that are displayed during PHOTO BY MONTE WHALEY the 2025 Thorntonfest car show, which is one of the more enduring parts of the city’s annual festival.
Classic cars just part of the fun at 2025 Thorntonfest Thorntonfest hosts small businesses, Frisbee dogs, bands for at least 50,000 BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORDOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As many as 50,000 people attended Thorntonfest at Carpenter Park Fields June 7, enjoying a variety of entertainment options from bands, boxing throwdowns, canine demonstrations as well as food trucks and offerings from small businesses on the main Marketplace throughfare. The weather cooperated without a hitch, delivering a warm sun minus a breath of wind or hint of rain. Local artist Kathryn Diaz has displayed her unique artworks at four Thorntonfests and came to her latest on Saturday with a small trailer she bought to haul her wares onto Carpenter Park. “This camper is on her maiden voyage,” Diaz said about an hour after the event opened to the public. “So far, I’ve gotten a lot of great comments. Thorntonfest always helps my business.” SEE THORTONFEST, P8
VOICES: 6 | LIFE: 10 | CLASSIFIEDS: 12
Thornton’s Kathryn Diaz of Found & Functional Artworks shows off her portrait of Dean Martin at Thorntonfest June 7.
At a time when many school leaders frame hard decisions in optimistic terms, Adams 12 Superintendent Chris Gdowski, a Thornton High School graduate who grew up in the same blue-collar community he now serves, isn’t afraid to say what’s broken and who it hurts. “I’m really deeply disappointed that after 16 years in this role and 30 years as either a school attorney or a superintendent, that we haven’t made meaningful strides in terms of adequacy of school funding in our state,” he said. “And dealing with these huge disparities between how much money some school districts have and how little others have.” Now in his 16th year at the helm of the Five Star District, Gdowski is confronting familiar pressures: declining enrollment, aging infrastructure, the end of federal pandemic relief and a widening gap between student needs and local resources. But instead of sidestepping those realities, he’s naming them clearly, consistently and often. Facing declining enrollment head-on Adams 12, like many districts across the Denver metro area, is feeling the demographic shift of aging neighborhoods and lower birth rates. As a result, the district is studying whether consolidations will be necessary, particularly in schools with fewer than 300 students, while also monitoring offsetting trends. “We’ve had some upticks in enrollment in some schools that have otherwise been slipping below 300,” he said, noting an influx of newcomers and increased demand for preschool and special education space. “We’ll probably be more active in these discussions come spring.” He added that the news isn’t all bad and that he sees opportunity in smaller school populations. “One of the upsides to some declining enrollment is that our schools are not mammoth places anymore. Students can get to know teachers personally, and teachers can know families better when class sizes are smaller.” SEE ADAMS 12, P5
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