5399 Waterstone Dr
Boulder, CO 80301

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.

Wonderful neighborhood school! My kids are very happy here.

I have a 4th grader and a 1st grader, both who have been at the school since Kindergarten. We've had great experiences for both of them.The teachers have all been amazing. They have decades of experience, with many at Crest View for 10+ years. That is a testament to the great school community! We get weekly updates from teachers, plus ad hoc info whenever we have questions. I've been able to go into the classrooms regularly to volunteer, and observe firsthand how well the teachers and para professionals interact with the kids. There is a large emphasis on social-emotional growth, cultueral diversity and mindfulness threaded throughou.We love the diversity of the school. Our kids have been exposed to a variety of languages and cultures via their classmates, getting one of my kids excited about learning Spanish so he can talk to his classmates in their native language. The school and PTO does a really great trying to support include all families, regardless of economic means or language ability. E.g., they ensure that every kid can get a book at the book fair, provide bags of food for the families that need it, all communications include Spanish, English and sometimes other languages as needed, ensure that events are culturally aware and show off the diversity of the community. While the challenges of serving English learners does pull down test scores, they are a really positive part of the school community.I've been impressed by the school's willingness and ability to differentiate instruction across a wide variety of needs. Especially post-covid, there has been a huge emphasis on helping all the students thrive and close gaps. E.g., extra literacy programs for kids who are at the border of grade level to boost them up, differentiated Math experiences that don't irrevocably track kids, but rather adjust to their needs unit-by-unit with either extra help, or extra challenges. The co-teaching model in Math allows both English learners and all students to get extra support in the classroom, rather than pulling kids out.There is new principal this year who has brought fresh energy and engagement to the community. He has made a huge effort to reach out and engage with parents, listen to their needs, and make them feel welcome in the school.Finally, there is a great community of parents and families. It's great to walk 1 block to the bus stop in the morning, and talk with parents while kids get on the bus with 30 other neighborhood kids.