Durango High School

09/23/2026

Durango, there's still plenty of Homecoming fun left to celebrate this week!

Check out this recap video captured by DHS senior and Student Storyteller Miles Leavenworth showcasing the energy and spirit from Monday night’s Hollywood-themed parade down Main Avenue.

We invite our entire community, alumni, and families to come out, wear your Demon red, and support our student-athletes and clubs at these upcoming public events:

Friday, Sept. 25 | Volleyball Triple-Header
• C Team: 4:00 p.m.
• JV: 5:00 p.m.
• Varsity: 6:00 p.m.
• Pack the gym and cheer on our dedicated volleyball players and coaches before heading outside!

Friday, Sept. 25 | Homecoming Community Tailgate
• 4:15-6:15 p.m., in front of the Durango High School Campus
• Gather with friends, neighbors, and alumni before the big game! Enjoy food booths, games, and activities hosted by DHS student clubs.

Friday, Sept. 25 | Homecoming Football Game
• 7:00 p.m. (DHS vs. Doherty) at DHS Stadium
• Head into the stands under the Friday night lights to back Demon Varsity Football!
• Admission/Tickets: DHS Students $1 (cash at student entrance with ID) | Adults $7.95 | Non-DHS Students, Military, and Seniors $5.68 | Season Pass $96.59 (Fees & taxes included)

Video Credit: Miles Leavenworth, DHS senior and Student Storyteller

Come for the community spirit, stay for the sports, and help us make some noise for DHS! Go Demons!

09/21/2026

Get ready, Durango! Durango High School (DHS) is celebrating Homecoming with a Hollywood-themed parade, community tailgate, and Friday night football under the lights. This year’s theme is “HOCO in Hollywood,” so bring your Demon spirit, and your best paparazzi skills.

The fun kicks off with the Homecoming Parade today, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m. The parade will start at Buckley Park and travel Main Avenue to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train Station – traveling north to south, which is opposite most parades.

Learn more about Homecoming Week, including details about the Homecoming Tailgate and Varsity Football game on Friday, Sept. 25: https://www.durangoschools.org/apps/news/article/2228651

09/18/2026

🤝 The DSD Board of Education is building on the success of last school year by continuing its expanded Student Board Member program.

With five student members — including four active members and one returning member serving in an advisory capacity — the Board has hit maximum capacity for student representation and is now the largest such program in Colorado, according to Board President Kristin Smith.

In hopes of helping other school boards develop similar student programs, the DSD Board is preparing to share its model nationwide. 📣

👋 Meet the incoming student members of the DSD Board and learn about this innovative program: https://ow.ly/AEOt50ZPlEr

09/17/2026

🎓 Opening doors to the future! On Sept. 15, Durango High School hosted the Colorado Council Regional College Fair, bringing representatives from over 20 colleges and universities directly to our students.

From technical programs at Trinidad State to degree opportunities at Colorado School of Mines, CU Boulder, and Fort Lewis College, students spent the evening asking questions, exploring possibilities, and getting a head start on their postsecondary goals.

As DHS Academic Advisor Kaila C**n shared, junior year is all about exploration — "doing the feeling" — while senior year is about "making it happen." Exploring tuition, room and board costs, and different program options early gives our students the perspective they need to build their college lists with confidence and apply early for peak scholarship consideration.

Interested in colleges beyond our region? DHS is hosting another incredible postsecondary opportunity focusing on highly selective institutions on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Fort Lewis College — complete with an admissions application workshop to help our students stand out.

Come meet representatives from dozens of premier research universities, flagship public institutions, and liberal arts colleges across the nation, including Columbia, Duke, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, and many more!

🏡 Schools are at the heart of our community. Stay connected with Durango School District through our free weekly Community Update—featuring student successes, district news, upcoming events, and stories that matter to our community.

📬 Sign up for the Community Update newsletter: https://ow.ly/rZZy50ZOMA0

09/15/2026

🎓 Three DHS seniors. Three National Merit Semifinalists.

Congratulations to Gideon Bokelman, Luke Wright, and Grayson Farnsworth, who semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. Even more impressive: all three earned perfect scores on the math portion of the exam. 🫨

We’re proud to see Durango students competing and shining at the highest levels nationally.

👏 Read more about these outstanding DHS seniors: https://ow.ly/zUsg50ZMO7U






📝 School Storytellers: Thank you to Dr. Jon Hoerl and Morgan Kraska for sharing this story and the accompanying photo.

09/13/2026

📣 Help us make school communication easier!

Families receive a lot of information throughout the school year, from schools, teachers, coaches, activities, and the district. We want to make it easier for you to know what you need to know, what you need to do, and where to find information when you need it.

We invite all current DSD families to take about 3 minutes to tell us what’s working and what could be better. Your feedback will help Durango School District (DSD) improve how we communicate with families.

Take the 3-minute Family Communication Pulse:

Families receive a lot of information throughout the school year, from schools, teachers, coaches, activities and the district. We want to make it easier for you to know what you need to know, what you need to do, and where to find information when you need it. Please take about 3 minutes to tell us...

09/04/2026

🛠️ Building trust takes teamwork ... and sometimes, a blindfold.

On Aug. 26, Durango High School culinary students in Joe Burns’ class took on a blindfolded puzzle challenge to put their communication skills to the test. Divided into small teams, only the blindfolded student was allowed to touch the pieces, meaning the rest of the team had to rely entirely on clear, descriptive verbal guidance to solve the puzzle together.

🤝 It was a fun, hands-on way to practice trust, active listening, and teamwork from day one.

📝 School Storytellers: Thank you to Durango High School Culinary/ProStart Teacher Joe Burns, who shared this classroom story and accompanying photos.

09/02/2026

❓What does history look like when students step into the story?

🥽 Using ClassVR headsets from the Ignite Mobile Learning Lab, Durango High School students recently explored 360-degree views of famous monuments around the world. But they didn't just look. They analyzed the design, details, and intentional choices artists make to commemorate moments and preserve memories.

Then it was time to move to the Impact Career Innovation Center's Maker Space and take on a challenge: What story of America do YOU want to tell? 🇺🇸

Using low-tech prototyping tools like ChompSaw cardboard cutters, pipe cleaners, and hot glue alongside 3Doodler 3D printing pens, Tinkercad-fueled 3D printing, and laser cutters, students brought their original monument designs to life.

This was Durango School District's Portrait of a Graduate in action, as students used Agile Thinking and Creative Problem-Solving to prove that the most powerful way to understand the past is to help design the future.

📝 School Storytellers: Thank you to District Technology and Media Support Specialist Nathan Van Arsdale, who took time out of his day to share these snapshots.

08/28/2026

🚗 🚌 🚲 Getting to DHS? A little planning can make everyone’s morning easier.

With limited student parking and a new one-way traffic pattern in the main lot, we’ve put together what students and families need to know about parking, buses and other ways to get to school.

Bonus: fewer cars = less congestion and a more sustainable commute. 🌎

Learn more: https://ow.ly/PhLr50ZGL3K

08/27/2026

📒DATE CHANGE! Our back to school night is now Sept. 9 from 6-7:30 p.m. at DHS. We encourage all parents/guardians to attend. The program and structure has shifted slightly from past years to encourage better attendance and engagement.

6:00 p.m. – Principal message to all families
6:15 p.m. – Grade-level breakout sessions (Grades 9–12)
6:45 – Open teacher visits + Commons resource tables