2920 Shady Holw W
Boulder, CO 80304

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.

Casey Middle has changed so much in just two years! When our daughter started as a 6th grader in the fall 2021, it was a mess. We almost transferred her based on the poor leadership and chaotic environment. Honoring that many of the issues were caused by COVID, it was still struggling compared with other boulder middle schools. However, the new principal, Dr. Bryant Shaw, is simply fabulous. He started in fall 2022 and his presence has completely changed the energy and culture of Casey! The teachers seem happy to be there, the students feel safe and known and he is seriously invested in the community. It's amazing what a caring, motivated principal can do in a short time. There is still work to be done to get the school back up to its pre-COVID reputation but its clearly on the right track now.

We absolutely love Columbine! The teachers are fantastic, the children are so kind and inclusive and the Principal is welcoming and very visible to parents. The attention and care given to the kids’ learning needs, as well as their emotional needs, has far exceeded our expectations. We’ve also been very impressed with how they’ve handled this challenging year, from COVID safety to wildfire smoke. Nothing seems to phase this staff. They truly are a great team that obviously enjoys working together. Our daughter describes every day as “great!” and comes running out of the building smiling and excited. We are so grateful to have found this hidden gem in Boulder.