860 Aurora Avenue
Boulder, CO 80302

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.

Great counselors, teachers seem to really enjoy their work, with a couple of exceptions. School community is very inclusive and supportive. Great arts and theater programs. I wish they had a more solid Gifted and Talented program as well as support structured to dyslexic and ADHD kids. The “in classroom” approach isn’t effective.

We are new to Boulder, having moved from California months before our oldest child started Kindergarten in the fall of 2022. We are so incredibly grateful to have found Flatirons Elementary School through the Open Enrollment process! Our kiddo is thriving, and mom and dad have made many wonderful connections through the school community.Flatirons is a small school, with talented and dedicated teachers and an engaged and welcoming parent community. It is is exactly the kind of well-rounded school we were seeking for our family. There is a strong focus on academics, which is reflected in student performance. Importantly (to us!), there is an equally strong focus on student well-being. The small size means that faculty and staff get to know all of the students, and as a result kids are supported, feel safe, seen, and loved, and thus are able to thrive. Now in first grade, our child loves learning and loves going to school - which is a home run in our book.