Durango Big Picture High School

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Durango Big Picture High School DBPHS empowers students to use their interests and passions to drive their learning through real world applications and experiences.

The mission of Durango Big Picture High School is to empower students to use their interests and passions to drive their learning through real world application and experiences in order to reach their personal, social and academic goals. Durango Big Picture High School began its first year on August 24, 2009 as one of Durango School District 9-Rโ€™s educational options for high school students. We went on to graduate our first class in May of 2012. Our unique high school follows the Big Picture Learning model, which is centered on individual student growth through community-based internships and student centered curriculum. DBPHS is a public, four-year Colorado Department of Education accredited comprehensive high school with an enrollment of approximately 95 students. We have a student to teacher ratio of nineteen students to one teacher. Comment Policy:
The Durango School District 9-R welcomes your active participation on our website, and we encourage you to interact with us and each other using our comment system. Our goal is to create an open dialog among the many diverse voices in our community. It is our hope that you will read and comment on the material you find on the site. Privacy: A valid email address and real first and last name are required for commenting. Your first and last name will be shown alongside any comments you make. We will not publish, share, or sell email addresses. The provided name and email address may be used by the district to privately contact the commenter. All email, snail mail, phone numbers, and any private and personal information posted in any comment will be deleted as soon as possible to protect the privacy of the commenter or any other community member mentioned. Language and Manners: This site is 'family friendly'. Obscenity, profanity, and vulgar language are prohibited. Comments with such language or with links to such language will be rejected and/or deleted. Personal attacks in comments are also prohibited. This applies to discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity as well as insults against fellow commenters, district staff, or students. You may disagree with another person's ideas or opinions but please keep the comments respectful and family friendly. Continued personal attacks will result in the user being blocked from using the system. A Comment is Conversation: A comment which does not add to the conversation and runs off on tangents or kills the conversation may be edited or deleted. Comment Spam: Most comment spam will be automatically rejected by our system. Any spam that gets through will be marked and deleted. The users of the system may also flag a comment as being spam or inappropriate. These comments will be reviewed and deleted as needed. Continued comment spamming will result in the user being blocked from using the system. Noncommercial: Comments may not solicit or promote any business. The comments are to be used for noncommercial purposes only. Hold Harmless: All comments on this site are the responsibility of the commenter, not the school district, administrators, contributors, editors, or authors. By submitting a comment on our site, you agree that the comment content is your own, and to hold this site, durangoschools.org, and all entities and representatives harmless from any and all repercussions, damages, or liability. Blocking of Commenters: Anyone who violates this Comments Policy may be blocked from commenting or accessing the site at the discretion of the district. All Rights Reserved: Durango School District 9-R reserves the right to edit, delete, or mark as spam any and all comments. The district also reserves the right to block anyone from commenting on or accessing the website.

๐Ÿ‚ Fall Break is Oct. 9-12. All schools will be closed on Friday, Oct. 9, and Monday, Oct. 12. We hope all our families e...
10/08/2026

๐Ÿ‚ Fall Break is Oct. 9-12. All schools will be closed on Friday, Oct. 9, and Monday, Oct. 12. We hope all our families enjoy this beautiful time of year!

Wonderful community members supporting career aspirations and goals! Shaw Solar
10/07/2026

Wonderful community members supporting career aspirations and goals! Shaw Solar

Building the next generation of electricians! โšก

Micah, a student at Durango Big Picture High School, is interested in pursuing a career as an electrician and reached out to Shaw Solar to learn more.

Our own Scott Archer was happy to sit down with him, share his journey, and talk about what a career in the electrical and renewable energy industryโ€”and at Shaw Solarโ€”can look like.

We love seeing young people explore the trades and are always excited to share what weโ€™ve learned along the way.

Welcome home, Big Picture. ๐Ÿฆก ๐Ÿ’š Parents, students, grandparents, staff, Board of Education members and district leaders g...
10/07/2026

Welcome home, Big Picture. ๐Ÿฆก ๐Ÿ’š Parents, students, grandparents, staff, Board of Education members and district leaders gathered Monday evening to celebrate the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of the new Durango Big Picture High School at 281 Sawyer Drive, Suite 400.

And this new space is BIG news for Big Picture. ๐ŸŽ‡ After years of making the most of a much smaller home, DBPHS students and staff now have room to grow their programs, gather as a community and learn in the hands-on, personalized, work-based learning model that make Big Picture special. (There was even some well-deserved excitement about a water station, extra bathrooms, and actual offices for staff.)

Following heartfelt remarks and the ribbon-cutting, guests explored the new school: touring the Music Room, watching workouts in the Fitness Center, admiring student creations in the Art Room, listening to videos and live guitar in The Cube common space, relaxing in the Zen Room, and peeking into classrooms throughout the building.

Superintendent Dr. Karen Cheser summed up what the evening was really about: โ€œA building doesnโ€™t make a school. People do. But the right space tells students something important: you matter, your learning matters, and this community believes in where youโ€™re going.โ€

Congratulations to Principal Samantha Tower, the DPBHS staff, students and families, and La Plata County voters, who approved the 2024 Investing in Our Schools Bond to allow a space worthy of this remarkable school community.



10/05/2026

At Durango Big Picture High School, learning is personal, purposeful, and rooted in community โ€” and so is the way they end each week!

Every Friday, DBPHS gathers the entire school for "Kick Me Out," a joyful send-off tradition adopted from the Big Picture Learning model. Whether itโ€™s student karaoke or a competitive game of musical chairs, "Kick Me Out" gives students and staff a chance to celebrate their achievements, laugh together, and build the strong sense of belonging that makes DBPHS so unique.

Want to see what makes Durango Big Picture High School such a special place to learn and grow? Come celebrate with us!

๐ŸŽ‰ Durango Big Picture High School Grand Opening & Ribbon-Cutting
๐Ÿ“… TONIGHT: Monday, Oct. 5
โฐ 5:30โ€“7 p.m. (Ribbon-cutting at 5:30 p.m.)
๐Ÿ“ 281 Sawyer Drive, Suite 400 (Top floor of the Columbine Building)
โœจ Join us for speakers, live music, campus tours, student demos, and a chance to meet our amazing staff!

๐Ÿก Schools are at the heart of our community. Stay connected with Durango School District through our free weekly Community Updateโ€”featuring student successes, district news, upcoming events, and stories that matter to our community.

๐Ÿ“ฌ Sign up here: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/1720193/1714944.4612864/?v=a




๐Ÿ—“๏ธ TONIGHT, Oct. 5: Celebrate the permanent home of Durango Big Picture High School! ๐Ÿ’š๐ŸฆกJoin us for the DBPHS Grand Openi...
10/05/2026

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ TONIGHT, Oct. 5: Celebrate the permanent home of Durango Big Picture High School! ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿฆก

Join us for the DBPHS Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting. Stop by from 5:30โ€“7 p.m. to tour the newly renovated school, learn more about DBPHS and see how 2024 Investing in Our Schools bond funding helped create a permanent home for this growing alternative high school.

DBPHS is located at 281 Sawyer Drive, Suite 400, in the Columbine Center. Current and prospective families, community partners and members of the public are welcome.



๐Ÿค The DSD Board of Education is building on the success of last school year by continuing its expanded Student Board Mem...
09/18/2026

๐Ÿค 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 โ€” including four active members and one returning member serving in an advisory capacity โ€” 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. ๐Ÿ“ฃ

๐Ÿ‘‹ Meet the incoming student members of the DSD Board and learn about this innovative program: https://ow.ly/cmPk50ZPlEm




๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Save the Date! The public is invited to the Durango Big Picture High School Grand Opening & Ribbon-Cutting from 5:30-...
09/18/2026

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Save the Date! The public is invited to the Durango Big Picture High School Grand Opening & Ribbon-Cutting from 5:30-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at 281 Sawyer Drive, Suite 400, in the Columbine Center (second floor above the District Administration Office).

Tour the newly renovated school, learn more about DBPHS and see how the 2024 Investing in Our Schools Bond funding helped create a permanent home for this growing alternative high school. Current and prospective families, community partners, and members of the public are welcome.



๐Ÿ“ฃ Help us make school communication easier! Families receive a lot of information throughout the school year, from schoo...
09/13/2026

๐Ÿ“ฃ 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 whatโ€™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...

๐ŸŽ‰ Save the date: Aug. 5! ๐ŸŽ‰ Come celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Ignite Mobile Learning Lab, a new mobile STEAM classroom...
07/29/2026

๐ŸŽ‰ Save the date: Aug. 5! ๐ŸŽ‰ Come celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Ignite Mobile Learning Lab, a new mobile STEAM classroom! Ignite is a partnership between Durango School District (DSD) and Durango Education Foundation (DEF).

Bring the family and be among the first to step aboard this one-of-a-kind learning space, explore hands-on activities in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics). You'll meet the Ignite team and see how this innovative classroom on wheels is bringing exciting learning experiences directly to students across our district.

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Wednesday, Aug. 5
๐Ÿ•” 5:45 p.m. Ribbon-Cutting; 6:15-7:15 p.m. Tours & Activities
๐Ÿ“ Impact Career Innovation Center (Durango High School campus)

Enjoy:
โœจ Tours of the mobile learning lab
๐Ÿงช Interactive STEAM activities
๐ŸŽถ Live music by Stillwater Music
๐Ÿช Light refreshments
๐Ÿซง Fun for the whole family

Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, foundations, grant partners, and community donors, DEF raised $363,000 to bring this innovative classroom to life.

๐ŸšŒ Learn more about Ignite: https://ow.ly/RuWm50Zutlm


Every child attending a DSD school or childcare facility must have a complete immunization record or exemption submitted...
07/09/2026

Every child attending a DSD school or childcare facility must have a complete immunization record or exemption submitted to their school, or the child will be unable to attend school until they are compliant with this state law. The immunization record must be from the child's healthcare provider or other immunization provider, and must show that the child is up-to-date on all school-required vaccines, according to their age.

If you plan to have a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption for your child, please note that the date of the exemption must be on or after July 1, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year.

Note: Starting in the 2026-27 school year, Colorado law will require students to have one dose of Tdap vaccine before their first day of seventh grade.

๐Ÿง‘โ€โš•๏ธLearn more about immunizations: https://www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=512021&type=d&pREC_ID=1033567

๐ŸŽ Visit our Back to School Hub: https://www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/backtoschool

Address

150 Tech Center Drive Suites A & E
Durango, CO
81301

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