Ivy Liu’s decision to run again for D49 School Board

What encouraged me most was how many of you recognize the reality: not only is our district failing academically, but it is also being dragged in a dangerous leftist- yes, even communist- direction. The local and national infiltration of communist ideologies has been underway since the 1930s, and today is carried forward by entrenched insiders. Many of you offered encouragement and hope, but let me be clear: we cannot turn this around without your active involvement.

For 14 years, D49 board members have been handpicked to rig a 3–2 majority who rubberstamp and take marching orders from superintendent Peter Hilts, and “unofficial sixth board member,” an attorney named Brad Miller. This is governance turned upside down. The board exists to direct the administration—not to be controlled by it. And yet, any board member who dares to uphold their fiduciary duties, ask hard questions, or challenge mismanagement is viciously attacked. Remember this? https://youtu.be/GQczyeqvSYw

Accountability and transparency in D49 are shabby at best. The board has conveniently neglected to investigate the $15 million reported missing last year by the Chief Financial Officer—nor has it addressed his sudden disappearance. They remain silent about mounting district legal fees and skyrocketing insurance premiums driven by reckless, lawless practices by the administration and legal counsel.

Recently, D49 celebrated with fanfare a minuscule uptick in CMAS scores—after the district hit a 13-year low in 2023 under Peter Hilts’ 13-year reign. Yet four of five board members have repeatedly renewed Hilts’ contract, showering him with unearned pay raises while teachers struggle. Now, two of those board members are running for re-election, eager to continue the debacle, the charade. Who cares about the kids as long as board members are chummy and getting along, right???

The staggering reality is that 70% of our students are not proficient in math, and 55–60% fall short in reading and writing according to the Colorado Department of Education. Even more alarming, 70% of our graduates enter adulthood  without meeting the Colorado Department of Education’s Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness standards. For over a decade, this failure has churned out tens of thousands of D49 graduates handicapped from the very start of their adult lives. This is not acceptable.

And no, the D49 HIGH SCHOOL students enrolled at Goals Academy are not the cause of these heart-wrenching K=8 CMAS scores, as lamely alleged by Hilts. Fourteen years of “insanity” needs to end now.

Some will try to dismiss this as “politics” or “divisive national issues.” But such misleading labels cannot distract from the 13 year failure of our core mission: properly educating our children. The future of 25,000 students is at stake. We cannot keep graduating young people unprepared in academics and life skills. Our district’s duty is to raise leaders and critical thinkers—not social justice warriors; to build victors, not victims; to raise overcomers, not basement dwellers.

Silence is no longer an option. These are your schools, your children, and your might tax dollars- currently to the tune of $300 million annually. And ultimately, this is the future of America. WE MUST DO BETTER.

It’s time for the community to rise up, get loud, and DEMAND the board take the leadership to take back D49. We can’t afford another cycle of Useful idiots on the board. We can’t wait two more years for a better board.  We need a new beginning. New leadership. A bold restart.