Centaurus High School

10300 East South Boulder Road

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 other on December 30, 2023

Centaurus is a diverse high school, smaller than the other high schools in Boulder County. They offer classes from academic support to advanced curricula. They offer an engineering focus if desired. My child came from a small, private school and was concerned about making friends. He has made friends and has developed relationships with his teachers. I have found the administration and counselors to be extremely communicative. We are very pleased!
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2021

Excellent experience!Teachers and counselors actually care about the students and parents!Great IB program and effective support for areas of need. Great extracurricular opportunities for all students, and very inclusive.My student was accepted into all 11 colleges applied to.
Submitted by teacher on March 30, 2020

The school has a fabulous collection of adult professionals.
Submitted by parent on September 11, 2019

I had multiple kids go to this school and it was a mistake. Colleges do not consider this a very good school. There are much better options in the local area. If you are considering sending your kid to this school, I suggest first meeting with the Principal and AD and then going to other schools and meet with the same. Its night and day the difference.
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2018

Our daughter is a freshman at Centaurus. She came not knowing anyone. Now she has several friends and looks forward to coming to school. Her teachers are invested and care about my child.
Submitted by student on August 21, 2017

Horrible experience. Teachers do not care about the wellbeing of students and students are extremely rude and disrespectful. Worst school experience of my entire life.
Submitted by student on April 30, 2017

Centaurus is an underrated school in BVSD. Despite residing in a lower-income area, many of the teachers and administration are equivalent to to some of the best schools in the area. The school has one of the best engineering programs in the US (which has sent an experiment to the ISS) and has rigorous IB and AP course options for students that are seeking a challenge.
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2017

We have had an awesome experience at Centaurus. We open enrolled in Centaurus when we moved to Boulder County. A few teachers have taken the time to call or e-mail, that's right a personal phone call, to let me know that my son could do better on a certain assignment or to set up extra time for help. This just confirmed that we are in the right place. This has happened numerous occasions. The athletics are competitive as well as giving many a chance to play that would not be able to compete in a larger school. Many athletes have received scholarships to top rated school to continue competing. A study skills class has been instrumental in one of our boys success. He now feels equipped and confident to go to college. the support he receives from the teacher is fabulous. The teacher really takes the time to know him and how he learns. The support we receive as a family and the overall experience with academics, clubs, athletics, engineering, studies has been a blessing!!!!!
Submitted by parent on September 27, 2016

The teachers are great! The admin team are great! The athletic director and volleyball program leave something to be desired!!
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2015

Centaurus is an amazing school that treats every student with respect and value. It is no surprise that they received the Gold School of Opportunity Award in 2015! If you are looking for a school that honors the unique talents of your child and that will treat your child like their own child, Centaurus is the school. The teachers, counselors, and administration, work together to create individual student-centered learning opportunities for every student. Whether the student is taking AP/ IB/Engineering classes or the student is new to the country and learning English, Centaurus truly cares about each of the students. As a result, their students are achieving at amazing rates, and their school community is one that honors the diversity of each of us.
Submitted by student on February 10, 2015

Centaurus is a magnificent place to attend high school. I went there because of their phenomenal engineering program. The school's atmosphere is a friendly and welcoming place. I feel like the teachers know me on a deeper level than other schools that i have attended. The students are great friends and they help each other with school work and other things. Centaurus is the place to be if you want a fun, loving and caring community in high school and beyond.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2015

Centaurus is a hidden gem in small town Lafayette, CO! Students have many opportunities in various fields that will prepare them for life after high school. The marching band is 3-time state champions. The engineering program is amazing - working with other colleges to provide students with many "professional" opportunities and furthering education. The teachers and office staff are committed to the success of every student.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2014

Centaurus is a student-centric school, something which is rare to find these days, particularly in Colorado. The Principal is actively involved in evolving school culture towards 21st Century learners. All the programs within the school -IB, Pre-engineering, AVID, etc. -are geared towards individual student success and betterment. Supports are in place for all students, from after and in-school tutoring, to Success Lab with one on one teacher tutoring, to counselor access and advisory planning classes ( counselor sand advisory teachers stay with students for all four years, so they get to know individual students well). Most importantly, the school climate is open and supportive, diverse and welcoming. High school is a challenging time for all kids, but Centaurus is a smaller, closer community than most and the courtesy and respect students show each other here is impressive. Students are active in a variety of sports and club activities (often multiple activities), throughout the year, summer too. They are encouraged to try new things and grow, not just academically, but as fully rounded people, so they are ready for whatever life throws at them.
Submitted by parent on July 22, 2014

Centaurus is the best kept secret in Boulder Valley! The IB and Engineering programs really challenge those students who are motivated to do the work, and sets them up beautifully for college. the test score gaps have been closing steadily for several years, and they have done an excellent job addressing the needs of those who are not native English speakers. One of the smallest teacher/ student ratios in the district allows individual attention to students who need more assistance. This next four years will be a technology plus, with each freshman being supplied with a chromebook. I am so happy with the responsiveness of the staff and administration here; I have never waited more than two hours for a response when asking a question about something concerning my students. The marching band is a state champion, and all kids who would like to play sports are welcome to play. You can't go wrong here!!
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2014

I would like to share that I have a "twice exceptional" student who is a senior - he's been offered numerous merit based scholarships (ex: School of Mines and two scholarships from CU) and it's all due to the quality of teaching & extensive ZAP training he went through at Centaurus. He's a straight A student who chose not to go into TAG or IB programs, and got to plan his own coursework (mainly AP classes). We had many Ivy League Universities sending him recruiting mail. My other student is a Junior in IB and he's also tracking extremely well academically & we're confident of his college prospects. Centaurus is a high school that offers many choices to students where they can learn to proactively manage their education. This school prepares graduates for college level work, especially in the engineering program.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2014

I find it interesting that a previous reviewer finds that Centaurus is not a good fit for gifted students. In our experience, the exact opposite is the case. My son's counselor has been extremely responsive and has made every effort to set him up for success. He has been given an extraordinary amount of freedom and guidance to learn and grow in the engineering program, even as a freshman, and all of his pre IB teachers appreciate him as a person and encourage him to excel. I feel that he will have many doors open for him in college due to the foundation he is getting in high school. In our experience in other schools, TAG is a program that may work with kids on a few things but does not really reach them as whole people. Additionally, quiet students and those who are more introverted are often not recognized for their abilities. At Centaurus we feel our son is thriving as never before; he is motivated to do his best and is so happy to go to school.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2014

As a parent of a straight A student, I have been very disappointed in the quality of education and lack of competency of the counseling office. I do not recommend this school for TAG students. There are excellent teachers, and the parents know who they are - so if you decide to send your child to Centaurus I would advise talking to parents who share teacher recommendations. The major focus of the administration is to raise the school retention rate. Most resources are spent with students who do not meet state proficiency goals. Although the counseling office has the state standard for counselor/student ratio, assistance with college and scholarship searches is very weak and the office is unorganized. Unfortunately, Centaurus is an underperforming school.
Submitted by parent on February 03, 2014

I have a sophomore at Centaurus and have been so happy with his experience there. He used to be self-conscious and has really blossomed and feels very confident and happy at CHS. He is in the engineering program and part of the 2-time state champions marching band and orchestra. He also participates in baseball and track so is well rounded and involved which is important in the success of any student. I also volunteer in the office so see first-hand how things are ran at that school. The staff are amazing and are committed to helping the kids be successful in school at the same time helping them have a good high school experience. The kids are very supportive of each other and bullying is not tolerated. BVSD has helped to provide great improvements at CHS, including the engineering program and the IB program. The teachers are very committed to helping the students achieve their potential and are open and responsive to parents. Compared to what I hear from parents who have kids at other BVSD high schools, I think CHS is the best!
Submitted by parent on January 30, 2014

My son has just completed his first semester at Centaurus and I am impressed. Teachers at Centaurus have an open-door policy and students can visit, get help, and spend time getting to know them. The teachers go out of their way to get to know the students and work to challenge them. The IB program is fantastic, the engineering program is 1st class, the teachers are incredibly engaging and inspiring, the staff is incredibly friendly. Centaurus is truly a hidden gem!
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2012

This is my daughter's third high school in 3 years and she loves CHS. She even went to the "nationally ranked" school down the street but this is her favorite school by far. She says the teachers and administration at CHS are great. She gets good grades, has wonderful friends and is really happy! That's all that matters to me.