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On a recent October day, Roddrick Marshall wore a wide-brimmed hat decorated with red and blue pipe cleaners with a yellow sign that said: “Vote Roddrick & Dejanae.”

Around his neck he also showcased a sign declaring that the pair would “stand on BUSINESS for YOU!” a campaign slogan they hoped would convince fellow students to elect them as co-class presidents of The Excel Center high school in Aurora.

Running for student body elections wouldn’t have happened when he was a 17-year-old getting into trouble, Marshall said. But decades later, at 50, he is getting the chance.

At the Excel Center, run by Goodwill of Colorado and the first high school building in the state dedicated just to adults, Marshall and other adults without a diploma are getting the opportunity to learn in a more traditional type of school setting at no cost to them.

Marshall’s wife first told him about the school and also enrolled him.

“I jumped right on it,” Marshall said. “It’s in person and it’s free, and it’s more of an educational environment where you really get a chance to learn one-on-one with the teacher.”

Statewide, estimates show that over 300,000 Coloradans didn’t finish high school. Despite that high number, Colorado was the last in the nation to begin funding adult education when it did so in 2014.

In 2023, state lawmakers increased annual funding for adult education from $1 million to $3 million a year. They also set aside $5 million to help create the Excel Center.

The plan was to provide the specialized program in an area with great need. Goodwill, which brought the idea to lawmakers and lobbied to open the adult high school, chose Aurora because more than 30,000 adults in the area over the age of 25 never graduated.

The school fits into Goodwill of Colorado’s mission — to help educate, train, and place residents in jobs that help them increase their economic mobility and independence.

The adult high school building opened on Aug. 5, and school officials hope to someday enroll as many as 350 students as they work to finish their high school education.

The 26,000-square-foot building, located in an Aurora strip mall complex owned by Goodwill, will have most of its dozen classrooms nearly half full soon — with 58 students enrolling in the first eight week session and about 150 expected in the second session.

Most of the current students have a ninth grade education, although students who are learning English tend to have a lower education level, said James Sanchez, a Goodwill of Colorado director.

Some students are expected to graduate quickly — such as those who dropped out in their senior year. Sanchez expects the school’s first graduation in December for those who only need to earn a few credits.

Students with a ninth grade education might need to stay enrolled up to 18 months, Sanchez said. And students who are learning English take remedial classes first.

Sanchez said the school is very clear that it isn’t just recreating a high school environment. Adults have much busier lives than when they first attended high school, meaning they require more resources.

The program offers onsite day care for students’ kids over the age of 2-and-a-half, gives them bus passes and gas cards, screens students for learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and has flexible class schedules. The school also caps classes at 24 students.

“We really try to get them individualized support,” Sanchez said.

The Aurora Excel Center is part of a network of 41 other Goodwill schools in nine states across the nation. The first school was started in 2010 in Indianapolis.

Although Goodwill has a history of offering this program, Sanchez said there still have been challenges starting something new in Colorado.

It has been difficult to find teachers, and most of those who’ve taken jobs at the center were previously retired. The school also doesn’t offer students the opportunity to earn as many industry certificates as leaders had hoped, though they’re working on more partnerships that will help students pursue higher paying jobs after graduation.

English language arts teacher Lizzie Louis agreed building something new for adults in the area can be difficult. But the students make it easy.

She said part of teaching them means respecting their life experiences.

She ensures students’ kids have a play space with toys in the corner of her room. And she focuses on encouraging students to pursue their long-held education dreams.

“We get to build community and create a safe place to learn for them,” Louis said.

Marshall said he’s felt the support throughout the building as he tries to earn the high school diploma he’s wanted for years.

On the day he campaigned in his brown hat to become co-class president, Marshall brought his five children with him to school, including his twins. Although they were a rambunctious crew, they’re welcome at the school.

“My kids are in school, but it’s times like this when they’re out for fall break, or some type of break, and I still have class that the day care is helpful,” he said.

Marshall, a custodian, wants to study HVAC after he gets his diploma and increase his potential for higher earnings. He also wants his kids to see him succeed.

“It’s good for them to see their parent continue their education and see how important it is to get their high school diploma,” he said. “They’ll get theirs the first time.”

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.