How safe is the school, really — beyond what the marketing says?
Based on news coverage, two events stand out. On 4 March 2025 a student brought an explosive device to school in a backpack; a school resource officer was alerted at about 9:28 a.m., detained the student and found the device, the building was evacuated and searched, students were cleared to return at 11:40 a.m., and no one was hurt. In 2016 a campus security specialist at the school was arrested for sexually assaulting a student, and he was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2018. The latest discipline figures we could find are for 2015–16, so we cannot say how safe students feel today.
| Measure, 2015–16 | Count |
|---|---|
| Out-of-school suspensions | 54 (4% of students) |
| Expulsions | 0 |
| Referrals to law enforcement | 0 |
| Arrests | 0 |
These figures are a decade old, from the federal Civil Rights Data Collection as ProPublica republished it; they show that discipline was uncommon then, not what it is now.
The school’s own security page says security specialists are on site during school hours, visitors check in at a kiosk with government-issued identification, and a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy serves as school resource officer. The state lists attendance at 93.6% for 2025–26. The school’s Points of Pride page says it has the lowest referral rate for drug and alcohol use among district high schools; we found no record to test that.
How do students perform on state assessments in reading and math?
According to the Colorado Department of Education, the school’s juniors averaged 490 on the 2024–25 SAT math section against 479 statewide and 517 in the district, and 36.5% met expectations, against 32.5% statewide and 46.3% in the district. Niche, summarising state data, reports 71% proficient in reading and 40% in math for 2024–25. The state’s CMAS pages for the school say the information is not yet available, so we cannot give those results directly.
| Math mean, 2024–25 | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| PSAT, grade 9 | 440 | 428 |
| PSAT, grade 10 | 459 | 449 |
| SAT, grade 11 | 490 | 479 |
The school sits above the state and below the district on every row. SchoolDigger puts the share of students meeting standards across all subjects in 2025–26 at 56%, against 63% in the district and 48% statewide, and ranks the school 118th of 340 Colorado public high schools.
How qualified and stable are the teachers?
The school’s profile on the state’s SchoolView site says its staff consists of 82 certified teachers, counselors, special service providers and administration and 37 classified support staff, and that the majority of certified staff hold a master’s degree. SchoolDigger lists 69 full-time teachers for 1,406 students, 20.3 students to each teacher. Neither source reports turnover or tenure, so we cannot say how stable the staff are.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Certified staff | 82 | School profile, state site |
| Classified support staff | 37 | School profile, state site |
| Full-time teachers | 69 | SchoolDigger |
| Students to each teacher | 20.3 | SchoolDigger |
The federal record for 2015–16 listed 61 teachers for 1,234 students, 20.2 to each teacher, so the ratio has changed little.
What’s the graduation rate, and how college-ready are graduates?
According to the Colorado Department of Education, 95.6% of the class of 2024–25 graduated within four years, against 85.6% statewide, and the rate has stayed between 94.2% and 98.0% for four years. Juniors averaged 1021 on the SAT in 2023–24, against 978 statewide and 1054 in the district. Of the 2025 graduates, 60.8% enrolled in a postsecondary programme within a year, which the state rates as approaching expectations; the 2024 figure was 70.2%, rated as meeting them.
| Measure | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate, 2024–25 | 95.6% | 85.6% |
| Average SAT, grade 11, 2023–24 | 1021 | 978 |
| Graduates enrolling in postsecondary education within a year, 2024 | 70.2% | — |
The school’s own Points of Pride page quotes a 98.7% graduation rate, which matches none of the last four published years. The same page says students earn over 5 million dollars in scholarships annually; the school’s profile on the state site says 3.5 million, and we found no independent record of either.
Which future-critical STEM fields is this school genuinely strong in—and which ones are major gaps?
Based on our review, the one strong field is advanced manufacturing, at 4.0 out of 5. Computer science and Earth and geospatial work follow at 3.0, and the major gaps are cybersecurity and battery storage, at 0.0, with clean energy, aerospace and biotechnology at 1.0 and AI and data and robotics at 2.0.
| Field | Grade | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced manufacturing | 4.0/5 | Seven-level welding, college automotive and SolidWorks courses, certifications |
| Computer science | 3.0/5 | Coding I and II, game design; no AP or college computer science |
| Earth & geospatial | 3.0/5 | Earth, space and environmental science, AP Environmental Science |
| AI & data | 2.0/5 | Statistics courses; no AI or data-science course |
| Robotics | 2.0/5 | One semester of robotics in the engineering sequence |
| Clean energy | 1.0/5 | Environmental science only |
| Aerospace | 1.0/5 | An astronomy elective |
| Biotechnology | 1.0/5 | Biology courses; a college biotechnology course is listed but not scheduled |
| Cybersecurity | 0.0/5 | Nothing found |
| Batteries | 0.0/5 | Nothing found |
Do students get access to advanced coursework, specialist electives and serious competitions?
Yes for coursework, but we found no competition record. The 2026–27 course guide lists Advanced Placement courses in calculus, statistics, biology, chemistry, environmental science and physics, Arapahoe Community College courses up to Calculus III and Differential Equations, and career electives running from Principles of Engineering Technology to a year-long Engineering and Technology Capstone. The school says its Technology Student Association, SkillsUSA, DECA, FBLA and eSports teams compete at district and state level, but it publishes no results.
| Level | What we found |
|---|---|
| Advanced Placement | 19 courses, including Calculus AB and BC, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Physics |
| College courses | Arapahoe Community College: Calculus III, Differential Equations, SolidWorks, 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing, automotive |
| Career electives | Engineering sequence to a capstone; welding in seven levels; coding in two |
| Competitions | Teams and clubs listed; no results published |
Does STEM translate into recognised qualifications, university preparation and credible next-step pathways?
Partly. The district’s career and technical education guide lists Automotive Service, SolidWorks, Microsoft Office Specialist and ServSafe certifications for Ponderosa, the Industrial Technologies department lists certifications in automotive, welding and construction, and the school says students with nine or more postsecondary credits may qualify for a free year of college. The state’s figures show 70.2% of graduates enrolling in postsecondary education within a year in 2024 (53.7% in four-year colleges, 11.5% in two-year colleges and 8.0% in career and technical programmes) and 60.8% in 2025.
| Pathway | What we found |
|---|---|
| Industry certifications | Automotive, welding, construction, SolidWorks, Microsoft Office Specialist, ServSafe |
| College credit | Arapahoe Community College courses, tuition-free apart from fees; Advanced Placement |
| Graduate enrolment within a year, 2024 | 70.2%: 53.7% four-year, 11.5% two-year, 8.0% career and technical |
The school lists no certification counts or job-placement record, so we cannot say how many students earn a credential.
How much of what the school claims can actually be independently verified?
Little of the STEM picture. The state’s records cover graduation, enrolment and SAT results, but none of the ten fields we reviewed rests on an independent record such as a competition database; all ten rest on the school’s own course guide, department pages and district guides, and no robotics, cybersecurity or science-competition result was found outside them.
| Basis | Fields |
|---|---|
| The school’s course guide and department pages | All ten fields |
| Independent competition or award records | None found |
| Contradicted by an outside record | The 98.7% graduation rate |
We tested four of the school’s own statements. The 98.7% graduation rate does not match the state’s figures; the scholarship total differs between the school’s own pages; and two modest descriptions, of its engineering pathway and its automotive college credit, understate what the course guide lists.
Will your child be ready for jobs that don’t exist yet?
Here’s what the evidence actually shows for Ponderosa High School — not what the brochure claims.
45/100 — Weak overall. Ponderosa High School’s advanced manufacturing runs through a seven-level welding sequence, automotive courses that carry Arapahoe Community College credit, and college SolidWorks and 3D-printing courses beside a SolidWorks certification.
But: cybersecurity and battery storage are absent, and clean energy is lacking.
Best positioned forAdvanced Manufacturing
Underdeveloped inCybersecurity, Batteries, Clean Energy
Future-critical exposure3/15 domains
Very strong
- None
Strong
- Advanced Manufacturing
Limited
- Computer Science
- Earth & Geospatial
Little / no pathway
- AI & Data
- Cybersecurity
- Robotics
- Clean Energy
- Biotechnology
- Aerospace
- Batteries
Best fit for
Less ideal for
Where the marketing exceeds the evidence
No published year matches 98.7%.
Where the school is stronger than its marketing suggests
Where the marketing exceeds the evidence
No independent scholarship total identified.
Where the school is stronger than its marketing suggests
Curriculum
- Probability and Statistics, Data and Decisions, AP Statistics and Arapahoe Community College Introduction to Statistics (MAT 1260), listed in the 2026–27 course lists
- Coding I and Coding II, the second covering problem analysis and the construction of algorithms
Evidence seen
- A statistics progression that runs from a high school course to college credit
What's missing
- No artificial-intelligence, machine-learning or data-science course, club or competition identified
Evidence seen
- Computer Science Foundations is described as an exposure to information-technology occupations; it names no security content
- The state’s school profile lists no internet safety programme for 2025–26
What's missing
- No cybersecurity course, club, competition or credential identified in the course guide, the activities list or a web search
Curriculum
- Robotics & Automated Systems, a one-semester course for grades 11–12 that follows Intro to Tech Drawing/Design
- Applied Engineering Design and a year-long Engineering and Technology Capstone follow it
- A summer Robotics Camp, listed on the student-life page
What's missing
- No robotics team or competition result identified; the Technology Student Association page lists event types but no results
- No robotics industry credential identified
Curriculum
- Earth, Space, & Environmental Science for ninth grade, with an honors section, and AP Environmental Science, listed in the 2026–27 course lists
What's missing
- No energy course, laboratory, club or competition identified
- No solar, wind or climate-technology project found
Curriculum
- Honors Biology, AP Biology, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Zoology and Forensic Science, listed in the 2026–27 course lists
Evidence seen
- The concurrent-enrollment page lists Arapahoe Community College BIO 160 Biotechnology
What's missing
- BIO 160 appears in none of the 2026–27 course lists for grades 9, 11 or 12, so it may not run this year
- No biotechnology laboratory-techniques sequence, club or competition identified
Curriculum
- Computer Science Foundations, Coding I and Coding II, Game Design A and B, Animation I and Intro to Multimedia, listed in the 2026–27 course guide
- Career and Technical Education pathways in Computer Science and Engineering, with eSports and the Technology Student Association
Evidence seen
- Coding II requires Coding I, which gives the sequence a progression
What's missing
- No Advanced Placement computer-science course and no college programming course identified
- No programming competition or certification result identified
Curriculum
- Earth, Space, & Environmental Science for ninth grade, with an honors section; AP Environmental Science; Astronomy and Aquatic Biology, listed in the 2026–27 course lists
- AP Human Geography
Evidence seen
- The Science department says all of its classes are lab-based
What's missing
- No geographic-information-systems course, software credential or Earth-science competition record identified
Curriculum
- Astronomy and Earth, Space, & Environmental Science, listed in the 2026–27 course lists
What's missing
- No aerospace course, rocketry or aviation programme identified in the school’s own guide
- A tutoring directory lists “aerospace rocketry” among possible topics of Principles of Engineering Technology; the school does not say so, so it is not counted
Curriculum
- Welding in seven levels, from Introduction to Welding to Welding Tech III B
- Introduction to Auto Service, MLR I–IV and five Arapahoe Community College automotive courses (ASE 1001, 1003, 1020, 2050, 2064)
- Construction Technology, Carpentry Technology, Principles of Construction and Woodworking Technology A and B
- Arapahoe Community College CAD 2455 SolidWorks, CAD 2660 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing and CAD 2456 Advanced SolidWorks, and the engineering sequence that ends in a year-long capstone
Evidence seen
- The Industrial Technologies department lists certifications in automotive, welding and construction, and a SkillsUSA chapter that shows a Bronze Chapter of Excellence badge
- The district’s career and technical education guide lists Automotive Service S/P2 and SolidWorks certifications
- The school says it is the only Douglas County high school whose auto programme offers NATEF certification (school-reported)
What's missing
- No competition result, certification count or job-placement record published
Evidence seen
- Automotive electrical safety is among the college automotive courses in the district’s guide; no battery or electric-vehicle content is described
What's missing
- No battery or energy-storage course, laboratory, club or competition identified
Creativity cannot be graded the way a course can. It can only be evidenced through what students made.
| Criterion | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art + technology | ||||
| Design | ||||
| Architecture | ||||
| Engineering design | ||||
| Media / digital production | ||||
| Maker learning | ||||
| Interdisciplinary projects |
Nothing found for
No student work was found evidencing these. For a school this well documented, an unrecorded programme is unlikely to be a large one.
What a family should ask about directly
- Cybersecurity and battery storage have nothing behind them, and clean energy has only environmental-science courses. A student set on any of the three should ask which course or club would take the work.
- Robotics is one semester for grades 11–12 and AI has statistics courses but no computing course of its own. Ask whether Robotics & Automated Systems and the Engineering and Technology Capstone run every year, and what projects they end in.
- The school publishes no competition results for the Technology Student Association, SkillsUSA, DECA or FBLA, and the state’s test-score pages for the school were not yet published. Ask for the results behind the clubs, and ask whether the college Biotechnology course on the concurrent-enrollment page (BIO 160) runs this year, since it is missing from the course lists.
| Domain | Evidence class | Key sources |
|---|---|---|
| AI & Data | Verified | 2026–27 course guide and grade course lists (Probability and Statistics, Data and Decisions, AP Statistics, Coding I and II); no artificial-intelligence course found |
| Cybersecurity | Verified | 2026–27 course guide; school activities list; state school profile (no internet safety programme); no cybersecurity course, club or competition found |
| Robotics | Verified · School-reported | 2026–27 course guide (Robotics & Automated Systems); student-life page (Robotics Camp); no team or result found |
| Clean Energy | Verified | 2026–27 course lists (Earth, Space, & Environmental Science; AP Environmental Science); no energy course found |
| Biotechnology | Verified · School-reported | 2026–27 course lists; concurrent-enrollment page (BIO 160), which conflicts with the course lists |
| Computer Science | Verified | 2026–27 course guide (Computer Science Foundations, Coding I and II, Game Design); Computer Science and Engineering department page |
| Earth & Geospatial | Verified · School-reported | 2026–27 course lists; Science department page (lab-based classes); no geographic-information-systems course found |
| Aerospace | Verified | 2026–27 course lists (Astronomy); no aerospace course found; a tutoring directory’s course note was not counted |
| Advanced Manufacturing | Verified · School-reported | 2026–27 course guide and grade lists (welding, automotive, construction, SolidWorks, 3D printing); Industrial Technologies department page; district career and technical education guide (certifications) |
| Batteries & Energy Storage | Verified | 2026–27 course lists and district career and technical education guide; no battery or energy-storage course found |
Academics
Proud, Productive, and Proven, we prepare students to thrive in all aspects of life.
Our 2026–27 course guide lists Advanced Placement courses, concurrent-enrollment college courses with Arapahoe Community College, and Career and Technical Education pathways. Ask below about any course.
Advanced Placement
We offer Advanced Placement courses in mathematics, science, English, social studies, the arts and world languages.
- AP Precalculus, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB and BC
- AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science and AP Physics C: Mechanics
- Seven social studies courses, seven arts courses, AP Language & Composition, AP French and AP Spanish
Concurrent enrollment
We offer college courses through Arapahoe Community College. Students who earn 9 credits or more of postsecondary credits may qualify for a free year of college, and some courses may become unavailable due to low enrollment numbers.
- Automotive: ASE 1001, 1003, 1020, 2050 and 2064
- CAD 2455 SolidWorks, CAD 2456 Advanced SolidWorks and CAD 2660 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing
- College Algebra, College Trigonometry, Introduction to Statistics, Calculus III and Differential Equations
- English Composition, Spanish, business, marketing and early childhood education
Career and Technical Education
We are proud to offer a variety of Career and Technical Education pathways, and our courses provide real world skills that transfer into postsecondary education and the workforce.
- Engineering: Principles of Engineering Technology through Robotics & Automated Systems to a year-long Engineering and Technology Capstone
- Information Technology: Computer Science Foundations, Coding I and II, Game Design and Animation
- Welding in seven levels, Automotive, and Construction, Carpentry and Woodworking
- Certifications in automotive, welding and construction, and a SkillsUSA chapter
Support and enrichment
We offer AVID, gifted and talented programming, personalized learning and a credit recovery programme.
- AVID: “A College & Career Readiness Program that gives structured support in rigorous coursework”
- Honors, Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses are offered in many areas
- Personalized Learning services range from self-contained core classes to co-taught classes, resource labs and consultative services
- Star Lab, our alternative credit-recovery programme
Advanced Placement courses in our 2026–27 course lists
Department leadership
Aaron Perez
Our “Dr. P”, who advises our Engineering, AVID, EARSS and Technology Student Association programs.
Caleb Pack
Leads our Industrial Technologies pathways in Automotive, Welding and Construction/Woodworking.
Jason Anderson
Leads our science courses, from Earth, Space, & Environmental Science to AP Physics C: Mechanics.
Kim Sigmon
Leads a sequence that runs “From Algebra I through BC Calculus”.
Ask about academics
Calendar
Our 2026–27 school year.
Key dates from our school calendar and the Douglas County School District 2026–27 academic calendar. Our school day runs from 8:25 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. Ask below if you need us to confirm a date before you book travel.
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
Ask about the calendar
Our Story
A supportive community of tradition, collaboration, and excellence.
We opened in January 1983, and our first class graduated in 1984 in our cardinal and gold colors. Our teams are the Mustangs, and we are Proud, Productive, and Proven.
Wish Week
Our annual Wish Week, sponsored by Student Council, has raised over $200,000.00 and granted over 30 wishes.
Human Rights Awareness Week
Ours is the only Douglas County high school with a “Human Rights Awareness Week,” where students can learn about global issues affecting our society.
Championships
We have won 32 state championships and 120 league championships, the most among all high schools in Douglas County.
Milestones
We opened in January 1983, after Douglas County High School was split.
Our first class graduated, in cardinal and gold.
We added a 9th grade and 23 classrooms, raising our capacity to 1,500 students.
Thirteen more classrooms and a commons expansion raised our capacity to 1,900.
Chaparral opened as Parker’s second high school, and our enrollment dropped to about 1,800.
Legend High School opened, and our enrollment fell to about 1,375.
Leadership
Ryan Hollingshead
Our Principal and AVID Site Leader.
Kristen Shirk
Leads our athletics.
Ben D’Ardenne
Our administrator for 10th grade.
Natalie Muñoz-Garcia
Leads our activities and is our administrator for 11th grade.
Sean-Michael Pfeiffer
Our administrator for 12th grade.
Seth Hughes
Our administrator for 9th grade.
“The PHS Administration Team collectively has many years of experience at Ponderosa as teachers, coaches and sponsors.”
Ask about our story
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