Sept. 26, 2017

Dear Manual and Weld Central High School Communities,
We as school leaders and superintendents are joining together on the common ground we share – our
deep love for our students and our communities, and our profound belief that our mission as educators
is to build bridges of understanding.
This past weekend has been difficult for both our communities, and we want to move forward in a way
that supports learning and healing. We know there are greatly conflicting accounts as to what occurred
Friday night, and we also know that, despite our best efforts, we may never have a conclusive picture of
what happened. Based on what we have learned to date, however, the Weld Central team did not
display the Confederate flag. At the same time, multiple Manual eyewitnesses reported seeing
spectators who attempted to bring a Confederate flag into the game and clothing with flag images. To
be clear, the confederate flag plays no role in Weld Central, and neither school condones symbols or
acts of racism.
Our focus now must be on working together for the sake of our students. Together, we are laying the
foundation for a Student Leadership Exchange between our schools, one in which student leaders from
both schools come together and share ideas and perspectives. As part of the exchange, our student
leaders will have the opportunity to visit each other’s schools and communities. We believe we have
much to learn from each other.
As we work together, we encourage our students, families, educators and community members to focus
on moving forward and building bridges. At a time in our country when so many are divided, we want
our students instead to come together, share ideas and learn together.

Sincerely,
Principal Nick Dawkins
Manual High School

Principal Dan Kennedy
Weld Central High School

Superintendent Tom Boasberg
Denver Public Schools

Superintendent Greg Rabenhorst
Weld County School District Re-3J