Boulder High School

Boulder High School is a high school in Boulder, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Boulder Valley School District.

Boulder High School
Boulder High School
Address
1604 Arapahoe Avenue

Boulder
,
Colorado
80302

United States
Coordinates40°0′49.36″N 105°16′25.67″W
Information
TypePublic
Motto"A Place For Everyone"
Established1875 (146 years ago)
School districtBoulder Valley
SuperintendentDr. Rob Anderson
PrincipalJames A. Hill
Faculty106.35 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,103 (2018-19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio19.77[1]
Color(s)Purple and gold
   
AthleticsCHSAA 5A Front Range League
NicknamePanthers
Websiteboh.bvsd.org

Boulder High School was founded in 1875 as a preparatory school to the University of Colorado. In 1876, it was the first high school in Colorado to graduate a class. The school is located in downtown Boulder, adjacent to the university’s campus and four blocks from the Pearl Street Mall.

Construction

Boulder High School's building at 1604 Arapahoe Avenue was constructed in 1933 by the Works Project Administration.[2] The facade is classic Streamline Moderne. The school's art deco auditorium has also been preserved. The building was constructed with "Colorado Red" flagstone and limestone, the same materials from which the University of Colorado is built. With funding from a Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) bond program, parts of the school were renovated or expanded in 2008. The changes include a remodeled ESL wing and counseling office, a new gymnasium, a larger administrative wing, and a bigger auditorium backstage.[3] Most of the school's recent additions also have flagstone facades, but none retain the original art deco design.

Stadium

Boulder High football, soccer, lacrosse, and track teams compete at Christian Recht Field, accessed via a bridge spanning Boulder Creek. Recht Field received a multimillion-dollar upgrade in 2003, which included artificial turf installation to conserve water and reduce injuries caused by frozen turf during the winter. As part of the BVSD bond program, a visitors' field house was constructed at the west end of the field.

Fairview High School shares Recht Field for a number of varsity-level events. When Boulder and Fairview football compete against each other in the annual Boulder-Fairview duel, the schools' fans alternate use of the visitor and home stands each year.

Flood danger

Boulder High School is in the Boulder Creek flood zone. The school's adjacent soccer fields were the site of housing as late as the 1970s, but the houses were removed due to the flash-flood risk. The City of Boulder continues to remove residential buildings in the path of the most dangerous portions of the creek, replacing them with parks and fields. The Boulder Creek 100-year flood took place in 1894, destroying all buildings in the area. The 2013 Colorado floods caused the school to be closed for several days. The soccer fields flooded, as did the softball field, which was the most damaged.[4]

Attendance zone

The neighborhood attendance zone for Boulder High School includes the North and central portions of Boulder and the mountain communities to the West of Boulder.[5]

Demographics
2012–2013 academic year[6]
  Percent
Female49
Male51
Native American/Alaskan0.4
Asian5
Black/African-American2
Hispanic/Latino17
White/Caucasian72
Two or more ethnicities4
Free/reduced lunch17
Reading proficient/advanced78
Mathematics proficient/advanced59

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Boulder High School is a 5A member of the Colorado High School Activities Association's (CHSAA) Front Range league and a former member of CHSAA's Centennial League (1964–2008). Boulder High School won a 6A state title in football in 1992, and also had state titles in 1943 and 1963. Boulder High School baseball has had some success as well winning a state title in 1991.

In 2012, Boulder High School's varsity boys' soccer team won the Colorado 5A Soccer Championship, beating Smoky Hill in the final game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.[7] After 14 rounds of penalty kicks, Boulder High earned its second Boys Soccer 5A State Championship in 2016 with a win over Broomfield High School and a perfect 20-0 season.[8][9] The 2016 Panthers finished the season ranked second in the nation by USA Today on its Super 25 Expert Rankings.[10]

History

In October 2007, to make competition locations more convenient for athletes and parents, BHS and crosstown rival Fairview petitioned to leave for the more accessible Front Range League.[11] The request was approved in January 2008 and took effect at the start of the 2008–2009 school year.[12]

Varsity sports

Boulder High fields eighteen different varsity sports teams each year across three seasons.[13]

Fall
Winter
Spring

Intramural and club sports

In addition to its varsity sports, Boulder High School has a vibrant array of intramural and club sports.

State championships
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
State championships[14]
Sport No. of championships Year
Baseball11991
Basketball, boys'31946, 1977, 1979
Basketball, girls'61984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994
Chess11981[15]
Cross country, boys'21951, 1965
Football31943, 1963, 1992
Mountain biking62010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
Soccer, boys'22012, 2016
Softball41987, 1988, 1990, 1991
Track & field, boys'31910, 1911, 1943
Ultimate, girls'22017,[16] 2018[17]
Volleyball12000
Gymnastics, boys' (former)11951

Music

Boulder High students participate extensively in the performing arts. The Boulder Jazz group frequently places highly in regional festivals and participates in an annual jazz exchange with the Trondheim, Norway art school of Trondertun. The Wind Ensemble is periodically guest-directed by Dr. Ken Singleton of the University of Northern Colorado and Dr. Allan McMurray of the University of Colorado at Boulder. The orchestra program is very extensive, with five string orchestras, up from three in 2014.

Theater

The theater department at Boulder High was established in 1937 and is one of the original members (Troupe #60) of the International Thespian Society. Boulder High's Theatre Guild currently has over 120 members; over 30 BHS thespians are inducted into the Society each year. The auditorium is named after Frank C. Smucker, who taught at the school and was the technical director until he retired in 2000.

Fine arts

Boulder High offers a variety of art classes, including drawing & painting, pottery, studio arts, portfolio art, and photography. There are photography classes offered up to a 4th level, and after that are independent study opportunities.

Panther TV

Boulder High students create a weekly broadcast, showing announcements and student-made content to the entire school.

The Owl

The Owl is Boulder High's student-run newspaper. Started primarily as a club, the newspaper became a year length class in the 2019-2020 school year.

Student Worker

In 1999, Boulder High students founded the political activist group Student Worker. Several of the group's demonstrations have received national attention, including the January 2005 "sleep-in" protesting the war in Iraq and the May 2001 "kiss-in" supporting alternative sexuality.[18][19] In May 2005, Student Worker, in a partnership with Peace Jam, erected 1,650 miniature American flags in memory of soldiers killed in Iraq. In September 2007, the group protested the Pledge of Allegiance, citing an objection to the "one nation, under God" clause.[20] They instead recited a revised version.[21] In February 2009, the group briefly advocated renaming Boulder High School "Barack Obama High School," which was met with overwhelming opposition from the student body, school administrators, and the community, including calls to abolish the club.[22]

Model United Nations
See also: Model United Nations

In fall 2005, the Model United Nations club was founded. In this group, students take on the roles of diplomats from countries around the globe to discuss, debate, and propose solutions to today's pressing international issues. Students research and prepare elaborate presentations for both in-state and national Model UN conferences, attempting to compete with delegations represented by schools in Colorado. Boulder MUN has consistently proven itself an outstanding team, recognized throughout the state for the quality of their conference, BHSMUN, and for their numerous awards in competition. Boulder MUN attends a national conference each year and has brought home awards. In 2008 and 2009, Boulder established itself, winning the majority of all delegate awards at every conference attended in the state of Colorado.

FIRST Robotics
See also: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology

The FIRST Robotics club was founded in 2003. Major sponsors include the Jim and Dede Bartlett Foundation and Ball Aerospace.[23]

Scares and controversies

Safety scares

On May 10, 2007, a cafeteria worker reported seeing two masked men enter the school before class hours wearing camouflage and ski masks. Classes were subsequently canceled while the school was locked down and searched by police. After multiple inspections, nothing suspicious was found, and school returned to normal the next day.[24]

Rumors that a song performed at a school talent show would include death threats to the president also garnered national attention, although a subsequent investigation indicated that the rumors were false.[25]

Boulder High School has endured multiple scam bomb threats in the past several years, prompting a moderate increase in school security.

Conference on World Affairs: 2007

Each year, Boulder High hosts several panels of the University Of Colorado's Conference on World Affairs (CWA). The panels have been well attended by BHS students, have typically been supported by the faculty, and despite a focus on politically sensitive issues, have caused little public controversy with the exception of one on April 10, 2007.

The panel, entitled "STDs: Sex, Teens, and Drugs," was to debate the merits of teens' different attitudes toward sex and drugs. According to some, the views presented by panel member Dr. Joel Becker, an associate clinical professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, were too extreme. Becker allegedly encouraged students to have sex and use illegal drugs, told them where to easily find marijuana, and poked fun at condom use. Others argue that the objections were unfounded, and he was taken out of context.[26] A transcript of the panel is available from BVSDWatch.org.

A Boulder High sophomore and her mother, Priscilla White, complained to the school board and protested some teachers' mandatory panel attendance policy.[27] The board reviewed the case, but meanwhile, the complaint attracted the national media's attention. The panel was covered most prominently by Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly and radio talk show hosts Don Caplis and Craig Silverman.[28] In an attempt to refute O'Reilly's views, a group of students publicly demanded an apology and organized to defend the CWA panel and BHS administration.[29]

The school board concluded on May 22 that the comments in question had been generally taken out of context and that the overall panel was appropriate for high school students. The school board also recognized that several statements were unnecessarily crude and recommended that, in the future, student attendance at the Conference on World Affairs be optional.[30] Today, the CWA at Boulder High School is overseen by a committee to assure the school board's recommendations are carried out and to prevent a similar conflict from occurring again.[31]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Boulder High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  2. "Timeline". Boulder History Museum. Archived from the original on 2010-08-13. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  3. "Boulder High School". Boulder Valley School District. Archived from the original on 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  4. "Boulder Valley schools found strength through the flood". Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  5. "Boulder H.S. Neighborhood Enrollment Detail Archived 2012-04-04 at the Wayback Machine." Boulder Valley School District. Retrieved on October 7, 2011.
  6. "Boulder High School: Student Body". usnews.com. US News & World Report. 2014. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  7. Jon E. Yunt (2012-11-12). "Boulder defeats Smoky Hill to claim 5A boys soccer title". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  8. Newman, Kyle (November 12, 2016). "Boulder dethrones Broomfield, The Classical Academy and Kent Denver also win soccer titles". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2016-12-12.
  9. Yunt, Jon (May 2, 2017). "Boys soccer: Boulder unseats Broomfield in epic 5A finale". Boco Preps.
  10. Super 25 Expert Rankings for 2016-17 Boys Soccer Week 13 Archived 2016-11-25 at the Wayback Machine, USA Today. Accessed May 2, 2017.
  11. End of era: Fairview, BHS to join Front Range : Top Stories : Boulder Daily Camera Archived October 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  12. CHSAA changes course : Top Stories : Boulder Daily Camera Archived January 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  13. Athletics Archived June 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  14. "WayBackMachine" (PDF). chsaa.org. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  15. "Colorado State Chess Association Scholastic Team Champions".
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2018-05-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2018-05-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. General – The Slumber Party – Christine Pelisek – The Essential Online Resource for Los Angeles
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2008-06-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. "BOULDER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CREATE 1650 FLAG MEMORIAL TO U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ". Archived from the original on February 3, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2006.
  21. Mike McPhee (2007-09-27). "Boulder students protest "God" in Pledge". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  22. Vanessa Millerdailycamera.com (2009-02-11). "Boulder High students want to rename school Barack Obama High". Boulder Daily Camera. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  23. "Team 1157 (2018) : FRC Event Web". frc-events.firstinspires.org. Archived from the original on 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2019-07-13.
  24. "US high school locked down". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2007-05-11. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  25. "School Talent Show Draws Secret Service". ABC News. 2004-11-12. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  26. BSVDWatch.org – Complete Transcript of CWA panel at B.H.S Archived October 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  27. Amy Boundsdailycamera.com (2007-05-10). "Student complains about CWA sex panel". Daily Camera. Archived from the original on 2012-04-01. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  28. 10: CWA discussion generates debate : Best of 2007 : Boulder Daily Camera Archived July 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  29. Boulder students want apology from O'Reilly : CWA : Boulder Daily Camera Archived April 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  31. New committee must approve future CWA talks at school : Schools : Boulder Daily Camera
  32. "Photos: Dick Anderson Presents Super Bowl Ball to Boulder High". Daily Camera. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2017. Dick Anderson, left, and current BHS football coach, Bob Simmons, have a laugh before the ceremony. Dick Anderson (Boulder High School ’63 / University of Colorado ’67) earned two Super Bowl rings with the Miami Dolphins for the ’72 and ’73 seasons.
  33. Staff. "Prodigal punk: Boulder's Jello Biafra at CWA" Archived 2015-05-08 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Camera, April 8, 2008. Accessed May 2, 2017. "For Jello Biafra, this week's Conference on World Affairs is a homecoming. A 1976 Boulder High School graduate, Biafra -- born Eric Boucher -- went on to success and controversy as the lead singer of the San Francisco-based punk band the Dead Kennedys."
  34. Acee, Kevin. "Bohn to take Colorado jobSDSU athletic director drawn to Big 12 and wants to return home", San Diego Union-Tribune, April 11, 2005. Accessed May 2, 2017. "Bohn and his wife, Kim, both attended Boulder High."
  35. Miller, Vanessa. "Former Family Ties star Brian Bonsall arrested again in Boulder" Archived 2012-01-13 at the Wayback Machine, Colorado Daily, December 7, 2009. Accessed May 2, 2017. "Bonsall, who most notably starred as Michael J. Fox's little brother Andy Keaton on the 1980s TV series Family Ties, lived in Boulder for several years -- graduating from Boulder High in 2000 -- before leaving town and skipping a court hearing in 2008."
  36. Staff. "CU astronaut-alumnus Scott Carpenter looks back at 50th anniversary of Aurora 7 mission", University of Colorado Boulder, May 21, 2012. Accessed May 2, 2017. "Born in Boulder on May 1, 1925, Carpenter grew up in a house at Seventh Street and Aurora Avenue, and graduated from Boulder High School in 1943."
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