Brad Miller's Legal Strategy in Pueblo

A Colorado lawyer and a conservative legal group attempted to create a test case for public funding of religious schools in Pueblo County. The effort resulted in a three-year legal and political battle that ended with the school's closure after a single academic year. The episode exposed gaps in state oversight and local board procedures.

Brad Miller, representing the Education reEnvisioned Board of Cooperative Educational Services, or ERBOCES, helped launch Riverstone Academy in late 2025. The school served 30 students in grades kindergarten through five. It operated inside a low-slung white cinderblock building in an industrial area. Quin Friberg, a local pastor, led the institution. The school received hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding while using religious curriculum.

The creation of Riverstone relied on specific legal structures and political shifts in Pueblo County. ERBOCES, one of 21 public education co-ops, authorized the school during a five-minute meeting. The Pueblo County School District 70 board approved the charter without dissent and did not publicly disclose the school's religious nature. Miller had emailed the board about the idea weeks before the June 2025 vote, marking the message as privileged and confidential. The Colorado Department of Education granted the necessary school code after days of internal debate, fearing a lawsuit if it refused.

The school's rapid rise and fall generated three lawsuits and a $20,000 settlement with a student's family. A local school board member resigned following the approval process. State lawmakers eventually passed a law restricting the start-up route used by Riverstone's backers. A judge ruled that hiding the school's religious nature from the public during the approval process violated the law. The religious liberty lawsuit Miller helped spark ended without a precedent-setting decision from the Supreme Court.

Ronda Rein, the former superintendent of Pueblo District 70, warned state officials in July 2025 that the school was religious. She said department officials already knew but planned to issue the code anyway. Rein described the district as complicit because officials knew the school's nature but did not share that information publicly. She later retired to assist her husband with health challenges. Miller responded that he never voted on school board actions and did not believe he had the power to influence people as much as suspected.

Local politics in Pueblo County shifted toward the right in recent years. A group called Forging Pueblo, co-founded by Friberg in 2018, helped conservative candidates win local seats. Daneya Esgar, a former Democratic state lawmaker, said the group stacked boards and commissions with supporters. A diminished local media presence meant many residents were unaware of government actions. Parents in the district noted that board members and Miller tested boundaries on public access to meetings. The school closed after the 2025-2026 school year following the new state law.