Boulder High School

1604 Arapahoe Avenue

School District

Boulder Valley Re 2
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

public

School Map for Boulder Valley Re 2 School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 26, 2024

We have had 3 kids attend Boulder High (BHS). All three have done well. Our oldest went on to earn an accounting degree at CU followed by and MBA at the Univ.of Texas. The other two are still finishing up. BHS provides excellent schooling for those who are self-reliant students; each of our kids enrolled in several advanced and AP courses. Additionally, BHS offers strong theater, music, specialty club and sports opportunities galore with consistent themes of integrity and respect toward others. The other big high school in town, Fairview, is a bit more strident, but both are excellent. If they were in ancient Greece, I would liken Fairview to Sparta and Boulder to Athens.
Submitted by other on January 27, 2023

I was a student here for 4 years. The location is not super great as it is right next to the Boulder Creek Path which has some really sketchy people and behavior. I can say that there were only 3 teachers I actually liked and 2 that I could call a good teacher. For reference, I took mainly advanced or AP classes. Most of the teachers I had were terrible teachers and I, as well as many of my peers, ended up having to teach ourselves the material. Classes at BHS, especially advanced classes are very test-heavy and, in my opinion, do not actually ensure you learn or comprehend the material. Most teachers are either unwilling to help you once you seek it out or, are generally unhelpful despite their best efforts. It's a school that favors the students who are "good at school" rather than the smart, but not good at school, or creative students. The admin I experienced are even worse. Many are quite useless and students end up having to find their own resources rather than using the ones the school is supposed to have for you. Guidance counselors at this school vary but the one I had was quite possibly one of the most indifferent people I've ever met. They were a pain to set up meetings with-once they were 30 minutes late to a required senior meeting-they never answered emails unless I sent at least two follow up emails, and was out of office for an important month for college applications with no replacement. Guidance counselors as far as I could tell were little to no help as far as college applications went. Most people I knew had to do them on their own or with a separate counselor that they hired. School admin were people to be avoided, not sought out. Now, I know Boulder is a dominantly white town and these things are unfortunately a norm in America, but as a student of color I experienced many microaggressions from staff. There was no explicit racism, however, there were times where I could see myself being treated differently than white students. The classes themselves are alright as the catalog is moderately diverse for a public high school. The building is old but the facilities are decent. Despite maintaining a 3.8 unweighted gpa, participating in many clubs and activities, having great friends, and getting into a good college, my time at Boulder High School was the worst time of my life due to the reasons I have just stated.
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2022

Go to this school if you want your child to develop depression. This school doesn't care about its students and wouldn't care if a student is struggling. It's so easy for a random person to get into the school, making it a safety issue. There are a lot of drugs and kids take them every day and haven't been caught. The teachers here would rather have kids fail their classes than help them learn how to do it. The Teachers like to go on a power trip, for example, my son was in the library in the quiet working zone and the librarian walked up to him and started to yell at him saying that he can't talk in there when he said "I wasn't talking" she screamed, "Get out!" several times. I feel bad for the teachers at this school, who are nice people, but the majority of the teachers would rather make people as stressed and depressed as possible.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2018

So far I am extremely impressed- my daughter is finishing up her 2nd year and we are very happy with the culture at Boulder High. Very little peer pressure and lots of opportunities to learn on your own terms. Teachers and councilors are world class-period. This school is open in so many ways.....I really cannot say enough. If you can get your kid in DO IT.
Submitted by parent on July 18, 2016

My son is enjoying Boulder High very much and he doesn't use drugs or have any interest in them (knock on wood). Our experience after two years here is that this a very welcoming school school which encourages all students to achieve their best academically and socially. My son is especially enjoying the arts program (band, orchestra, choir, art) which are taught by well qualified and enthusiastic teachers. The Boulder schools allow for "open enrollment" through which about 30% of kids choose to go to a school that is not their "assigned" school. Our neighbor's child, for instance, didn't fare well at Boulder High and switched to New Vista, which suits her better. This flexibility is a wonderful benefit of being in the Boulder Valley School district.
Submitted by parent on January 05, 2016

Drugs, open campus, no school spirit, it's just not a great place for your kids right now. My sophomore is transferring and my 8th grader is definitely not going there. My 7th grader is looking at all other options.
Submitted by parent on September 29, 2014

If you want your child to be immersed in the drug culture be our guest. Open campus blocks from the Pearl Street Mall poses major truancy risks. Homeless drug peddlers on the Boulder Creek path slinging dope getting kids' lunch money while the kids are getting high at lunch. BVSD and Boulder PD's apathy in securing the campus is a joke. If you can micro manage every subtle nuance socially and academically it can be rewarding, however if you have a choice send your child to Fairview.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2013

I have a freshman at boulder high, when she is asked how she feels about school, she says she loves it. I can only speak from our experiences thus far. I have contacted the principal directly 2times, both times, he addressed my concerns the same day. I was so impressed with this level of professionalism. The school is either at or above capacity. Still they do not have children sharing lockers, which is huge, they ordered more lockers to accommodate the kids. Academically, I feel as though BHS is one of the strongest schools in this area of colorado. The teachers are excellent at responding to emails and the teaching staff have shared goal of success for all of the students. You'll get the scoop at open enrollment time if you go to the presentation. The mission of the teachers here seem to be educating students while in HS, as well as getting your child ready to be successful in their upper education careers at the university level, while trying to instill the ability to function successfully in society. The social climate is one of acceptance, safety, tolerance, and honesty. When an issue arises, the counselors are on it, with open lines of communication.
Submitted by other on October 11, 2013

I graduated BHS a semester early. In the beginning when I was a freshman, I was on the verge of being a truant.I didn't ever want to go to school because I thought I was bad at it. The teachers immediately saw the problem and fixed it. Three and a half years later I had my diploma. The people at Boulder High were polite at the least to everyone. I was always very fat and never got teased once. The theater department is amazing. The shows seem like they could be on Broadway!
Submitted by student on October 03, 2013

I love BHS, I am currently a sophomore and have loved every minute of it, all of my teachers have been excellent and I enjoy the time I spend with most of my peers. The environment is very inclusive and I have never witnessed any bullying or harassment. Many of the other reviews make the open campus a much larger deal than it actually is. After the first few weeks freshman year the thrill of it wears off. The administration is excellent, as are the counselors. The school provides an environment were any student can find success. There are plenty of classes at different levels to meet the needs of everyone. I'd recommend Boulder High to anyone.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2013

My daughter put her bag in the gym with her classmate as they had to run the track, when they got back 4 people got their Iphones stolen, including my daughter's cellphone. The school police and the principal only filed a report for this and not email all the parents know of the situation going on in the school to help their kids be aware of their assets. I really hope this will not happen to any student again.
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2013

My son is currently a freshman here and loves it. He is very involved--plays multiple sports and is on the Student Council. He takes several advanced classes and appears to be well challenged. There is a lot of diversity and it's said that there is a place for everyone. Our danish exchange student attends as a Junior and concurs--she also says that American High Schools are much more fun than Denmark ;) If your child is a good student, they should definitely take at least a few Advanced classes as the regular classes are considered "easy". I toured Fairview this morning with my 8th grade daughter and my impression was that Fairview is a typical "suburban" school, while Boulder feels more Urban. Fairview felt bigger and there seemed to be MANY more kids--enrollment is now at 2134, not sure about Boulder High. Boulder does have an open campus, but the majority of kids are eating lunch, not doing drugs. We have friends at Fairview and they are very happy with it. I think the staff and curriculum are great at both schools--but you should visit both to see what suits you best. I