South High School

1700 East Louisiana Avenue

School District

Denver County 1
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:19
Type

public

School Map for Denver County 1 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 August 18, 2023

2 kids here currently. 9 th and 11thOur son is thriving with sports and academics.He enjoys his teachers. My daughter will attend this fall. Anxious to see how she does academically. She is in sports as well and excited to see her play.
Submitted by other on December 29, 2022

I learned so much there and got into brown university some of the best years of my life and I made so many friends there I highly recommend south to everyone
Submitted by other on December 01, 2021

I graduated from Denver South in May 2021 and truly I can't say enough good thing's about this place.Socially, this school is 10/10, maybe it has changed this year after all the covid craziness, but everyone just gets along, this schools staff can really become some of the best people I have known in my 19 years on this planet. The teachers care about you, but you do have to put in work in order to get those good grades you're looking for, teachers are always okay if you need an extension, just don't wait till the last second to ask. Overall, I loved Denver South, I will truly never forget the experiences or the people I met. Amazing atmosphere for a kid to go to High School.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2021

As one who always felt commitment to our neighborhood schools, I am very sad to give this poor review and to share that we will be pulling our child out of this school after one year. Overall, the curriculum is extremely content poor, and many of the teachers are more interested in far-left political indoctrination. You wouldn't believe the amount of time wasted on kids being taught what to think, not how to think. These kids will graduate with lots of opinions, but very little knowledge. The language arts class is particularly bad. The teacher has jettisoned the reading of great literature, or the reading of much of anything at all, for that matter, in order to prosthelytize his activist agenda. I can assure you, I am no conservative. Recently, my student took a standardized test and pretty much bombed it, especially the language section. It is no wonder.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2018

South has been a great experience. It's smaller than other schools and the teachers and administrators know and care about the kids. Students also get great opportunities to participate in school life via sports and clubs. And our daughter has also gotten to know students from around the world, which has been an invaluable and unique experience. The academics have been challenging, and AP classes interesting, relevant and engaging. I strong recommend South to students and parents who are looking for a place where they're supported, engaged, and can have an interesting experience in a culturally diverse environment. Read the Newcomers by Helen Thorpe to get some of the flavor of the school
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2018

My daughter has had the most wonderful experience at South High School. The ratings are not reflective of the amazing learning environment at this school. My daughter chose to leave a highly selective private school to attend South, our neighborhood school. The opportunity to get to know kids from all over the world and from all socioeconomic backgrounds has been such an enriching experience. South is a very inclusive school with teachers and administrators that truly care. Their AP classes are just as challenging as the school my daughter transferred from. My daughter was just accepted to a very selective (13%) top tier liberal arts college and South made all the difference in making this happen.
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2017

Great new principal.....Ms. Hanson truly cares about kids
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2016

We came from a terrible middle school experience and have found that under the leadership of Dr. Waters, all of the teachers have been wonderful/caring mentors to our daughter. The sense of community is very strong and we love the international aspect of the school. Much more like a real world experience!
Submitted by other on February 14, 2016

I shadowed at this school and it was amazing very diverse the students are very nice and helpful hopefully i get in this school. I would definitely recommend your kid going there
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2015

I must admit to having a great deal of anxiety as I performed my due diligence on High Schools for my children to attend. I even investigated private school options and expanded my search to encompass most of the Denver Metro area. I have relatives in the southern suburbs and heard a great deal from them as to why I would be crazy to enroll my kids in a DPS High School, so I even contemplated moving in order to ensure my kids benefited from the best education I could provide them. Between such strongly worded counsel and the less than glowing appraisals of South at places like this site, I was on the verge of making a huge leap. Then I remembered what brought me to the Washington Park neighborhood in the first place. Traditional neighborhoods and tree lined streets, active parks and big porches that draw economically diverse people out into the open where community can take form. Its streets are narrow and sidewalks are old but there is a sort of genius visible to those willing to see beyond its surface. So, I made the effort to look again at our neighborhood school and see if there was something deeper than raw test scores and economic struggles of many students and their families. It was there all along, I just hadn't taken note as I maintained my focus on the caution lights being flashed in my face. If you spend time speaking with the people who work there and the students they serve, it rises like smoke from a concealed flame. There is an opportunity here for the kind of education that goes well beyond IB programs, AP classes, and athletic programs. Give it some time and I think you'll see it, too. The truth is that my children have been high performers their whole lives, the beneficiaries of attentive parents with economic resources to spare. There are many good schools with caring faculty and competent administration, and my children were likely to thrive in any safe environment with opportunities to learn. This is bigger than that, though. South High School is an opportunity for them to experience life in all its diversity and attendant challenges and beauties, to understand struggles they have never known, and to see beyond societal veneers and broad labels which plague so many in the world today. I can't guarantee that South High School is for you or your children, but I challenge you to find greater opportunity than what is found here.
Submitted by other on November 24, 2014

The principals only care about test scores and sports. All students are not of their concern. Do not go here!
Submitted by parent on September 08, 2014

South is a special place that truly must be experienced to really understand how unique it is among all other Colorado high schools. Visionary leaders and thoughtful, engaging teachers. Incredible.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2014

There is a culture of inclusiveness and positivity permeating the halls of Denver South. My daughter is just completing her freshman year and South has far surpassed our expectations. She is already earning college credit and could potentially earn more credit if she did well on her AP exams. We love the international students and have realized that the roughly 25-25-25-25 attendance breakdown by race/ethnicity creates a very compelling dynamic. You won't experience any of this in any other Colorado high school.
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2014

Our daughter is a freshman at Denver South this year. She grew up in the neighborhood and had other high schools she could have chosen to attend but wanted to go to South and has never regretted it. She takes regular, in AP and honors classes, utilizes tutoring and has a good relationship with her supportive teachers. She is involved in sports and in a leadership building elective. She, and we, enjoy the diverse student body which helps her understand different points of view and she has found friends and kindred spirits. We are so glad she is a part of Denver South and so is she!
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2014

Denver South High School My son is a freshman at Denver South High School. We absolutely love the diversity of Denver South. Everyone is from somewhere else so there are no clicks or majority/minority. Students seem to focus more on what can bring them together than what separates them. I have been so impressed by the quality of students that I have interacted with and my son is truly happy to go to school each day! As a parent I also love the communication between the teachers and home as well as the accessibility of the school administration. I know we made a great choice in choosing Denver South! A bonus is that they have great athletics programs and many of the athletes are honors or AP students. Student athletes are held to a higher standard than at other schools we looked at and this was important to me as a parent. At South my son is treated as a young man, a student then an athlete (in that order).
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2014

Excellent cultural environment. Teachers, staff & Principal are awesome. It would be fun to have a music band for all our great sports games.
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2014

Denver South High school is a hidden gem in the DPS system! The diversity at South is a treasure that is unparalleled and creates a rich learning environment, an opportunity for the students to not only study other cultures in textbooks, but from their fellow students. The teachers at South embrace their unique opportunity, and are led by Dr. Kristin Waters, who is in no uncertain terms, a rock star, charismatic leader, and Principal who is willing to think outside the box and not afraid to implement new ideas.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2014

This is my second year at South and I have truly been pleased with my children's academic experience here. The teachers are engaged and push the students to aim high. The diversity and culture at South asked the students to interact and learn about other nationalities that you won't find in other schools.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2014

I have found South HS to be very open to assisting my daughter and willing to work with me to understand her needs and learning challenges. I really appreciate the teachers being willing to contact me and inform me about what they are working on, what tasks my daughter needs to do, and how I can support her at home. This is very important to me as her parent!
Submitted by teacher on April 08, 2014

I teach French and Spanish at Denver South High School. I love working at South because it is by far the best high school in Denver Public Schools. The student body is very diverse, and our principal, Dr. Kristin Waters is doing an outstanding job. It takes great leadership to run a school as diverse as South. Too bad, my youngest graduated high school last year, or else he would be attending South!