“This honor is the result of the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, and staff,” said DHS Principal Dr. Jon Hoerl. “The top 10 percent ranking reaffirms our commitment to providing an exceptional education and preparing our students for success in an ever-changing world.”
The U.S. News & World Reports methodology focuses on six factors: college readiness; reading, math and science proficiency; reading, math and science performance; underserved student performance; college curriculum breadth; and graduation rates. Parents and students can see how Durango High School compares to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated on USNews.com.
"The 2024 Best High Schools rankings highlight schools across the country where students consistently demonstrate academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor of education at U.S. News. “Having access to our data on the high schools can empower families as they navigate today’s educational environment and plan for the future.”
Durango High School has a long list of noteworthy statistics, awards, and activities this year that likely contributed to the Top 10% ranking:
- The DHS 2023 graduation rate is 95 percent.
- 614 students took over 1,000 Advanced Placement exams across 20 subjects.
- Dr. Jon Hoerl was named 2024 Colorado Secondary School Principal of the Year.
- The HOSA club (health careers pathway) sent a dozen students to the state competition for the first time, and five students placed in the top five for their categories.
- The DHS Knowledge Bowl team took third in the national competition.
- The Durango Robotics team was awarded over $1.5M in scholarships at the state competition.
- The Impact Career Innovation Center opened in January 2024. There are 14 CTE pathways and more professional certification programs than ever before.
- There are 30 outstanding athletics programs; DHS is home of the State Hockey Champions.
- The DHS theater program’s “Urinetown” has been nominated for Best Musical by the Bobby Awards. This is similar to the Tony Awards for high school performances.