Durango School District 9-R Home

We help them find their path to success

95%

Graduation rate at Durango High School
29

Home languages spoken by students
3

Schools awarded Governor’s Distinguished Improvement
20%

CMAS test scores rank in top 20% of all Colorado Schools

About Us

Welcome to Durango School District 9-R. We strive to create a learning environment where all students own their learning, act on their learning, and impact their community. We provide learning opportunities where students develop their critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills.

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Where we’re located

District News

March 2025 Bond Update: Survey highlights urgent need for staff housing

A staff survey conducted by Durango School District (DSD) in February confirms a growing need for workforce housing among educators and support staff.

Student meets school representative at a table

DEF Spring Resource Fair is a one-stop resource for families

The public is invited to the 2025 Durango Education Foundation Spring Resource Fair. This free event will be held April 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

A high schooler stands in front of several pieces of art on display, next to her graphite drawing of an elk in a mountain field

Youth Art Month Exhibition showcases student talent

For more than 25 years, Durango School District’s Youth Art Month Exhibition has provided a space for student creativity to shine — and this year’s show may be one of the most dynamic yet.

Five smiling children in purple shirts proudly holding a 2025 trophy, all wearing medals around their necks

Riverview Elementary School fifth graders win district's first regional Battle of the Books

At the Impact Career Innovation Center on March 4, the chatter of excited elementary students filled the halls as 30 teams from across Southwest Colorado prepared to put their reading skills to the test. But this was no ordinary quiz — it was the first-ever Battle of the Books hosted by Durango School District, and for the third through fifth graders participating, it was both a celebration of literature and a test of teamwork, grit, and recall.

Durango School District 9-R Board of Education graphic

Recap: March 25 Board of Education Regular Session

The Durango School District Board of Education held a Regular Meeting on March 25, 2025, and the recap is now available.

Recap: March 11 Board of Education Work Session

The Durango School District Board of Education held a Work Session at Animas Valley Elementary School on March 11, 2025, and the recap is now available.

Board of Education Regular Session is March 25

The Durango School District Board of Education will meet for a Regular Session on Tuesday, March 25, at 5:30 p.m. at the Impact Career Innovation Center (Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.).

A group in a welding workshop gathers around an instructor in a

Durango High School program sparks passion for welding

Finding a life pathway may require a trial by fire – literally. Tom Joyner, a welding teacher at Durango High School (DHS), gives students a spark.

Medical clipboard with 'Measles' in bold text, surrounded by a stethoscope, syringes, and blue-and-white capsules

Measles: Regional outbreaks + what the law requires if there's a confirmed case at school

Due to the growing measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico and the high rate of tourism to our area, the Durango School District (DSD) Health Services Department is working to prepare and educate our students, families, and staff about measles and what to expect if there is a confirmed case in our schools.

Big news: Abre is coming soon

We’re thrilled to announce that after Spring Break, families of secondary students will have access to Abre – a powerful tool designed to bring all your student’s important school information together in one place. From grades and assignments to key updates, Abre makes it easier than ever to stay connected and engaged in your student’s education.

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Our Mission

The mission of Durango School District 9-R is to ensure each student develops the skills and attributes for lifelong learning and has the ability to compete and contribute in the global community, by guaranteeing equitable educational opportunities in a safe and healthy environment.

Strategic Plan

What people say about us

TEACHER

“I get to work in a supportive environment with empathetic people who love what they do, and who genuinely care about student success.”

– Olivia Cruz, High School Science Teacher

PARENT

“My kids have thrived in Durango schools because of the quality of instruction. The teachers in these schools do life-changing work.”

– Eduardo Gonzalez, parent of middle school student

STUDENT

“I have so many opportunities, and I have come to love school. Now I want to inspire others, and be on the Board to be that person that others can look up to.”

– Michaela Richardson, high school student and Student Board Member

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Superintendent's Message

Welcome to beautiful Durango and La Plata County! Our schools – and our community – are committed to ensuring all students reach proficiency in all content areas as well as have a high level of social-emotional well-being. Our primary objective in the Durango School District is to help every student achieve their life's purpose through Portrait of a Graduate. This is our district's "north star." It inspires students to find their Ikigai. This is a Japanese concept that incorporates four essential criteria: what you love (your passion), what the world needs (your mission), what you are good at (your vocation), and what you can get paid for (your profession). East meets West with this ancient philosophy in a modern mountain town.

Meet our district leaders

Universal Calendar

Apr 8

Board of Education Work Session

Time: 5:30 PM – 10 PM

Location: Escalante Middle School, 141 Baker Lane, Durango, CO

Apr 14

Long-Range Planning Committee Meeting

Time: 4 PM – 6 PM

Location: District Administration Office 281 Sawyer Dr., Ste. 100 Durango, CO 81303

Apr 18

Finance Advisory Committee Meeting

Time: 8 AM – 9:30 AM

Location: District Administration Building 281 Sawyer Dr., Ste. 100 Durango, CO 81303

Apr 21

Professional Development Day - No School

Apr 22

Board of Education Regular Meeting

Time: 5:30 PM – 10 PM

Location: Impact Career Innovation Center, 2410 Main Ave, Durango, CO

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Quality of Life

Durango is a beautiful place to live and work. It is located at 6,512 feet elevation in Southwest Colorado near the Four Corners region. Families who live here enjoy a historic steam train, ski resort, rivers, vibrant downtown, bike trails, sky-high “fourteener” mountains, and four distinct seasons with an average of 266 sunny days per year. We welcome new families and new staff members, and we offer excellent benefits and competitive salaries.

Join our team

Land Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge that Durango School District 9-R is located on lands and territories taken from the Núuchiu (Ute) people. This land is also the ancestral home of or served as a site of trade, gathering, or healing for Apache, Pueblo, Diné, and other nations. We recognize and honor these peoples and nations as traditional stewards of this land and water and respect their enduring relationship with it.

Listen to the land acknowledgement in Diné Bizaad (Navajo language), spoken by Elfreida Begay

Accessibility Statement

It is the goal of Durango School District 9-R that the information on this website be accessible to individuals with visual, hearing, or cognitive disabilities. Good faith efforts are being made to ensure that our website complies with web accessibility standards.

Most pages on our site are available in HTML format, which can be read by screen readers. Some documents are in Adobe PDF format, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website. Additionally, some documents are in Google Docs, and Google Forms. Most modern browsers and screen readers can access Google-based documents. More information about Google web products accessibility can be found on the Google Accessibility website.

In order to ensure that Durango School District websites are accessible to everyone in our community, including those with disabilities, we are using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

If you cannot access any page(s) on our site, please email us at [email protected]. Include the location of the webpage/document, your name, email address, and phone number so we can provide the information in another format, and address the issue.