Fairview High School

Fairview is interested in their sports programs and only students who fit their mold. The administration want kids who don't rock the boat and toe the line. Their counselors with a few exceptions are under motivated and not creative. Fairview has some really incredible teachers who are working against an administration that only seems to care about performance and not students. So if your student has no issues, loves homework and is just another face in the crowd they will do fine. If your student questions things, is an alternative learner and wants to have any social interaction with people not into their clique, then another school might be a better fit.
—Submitted by a parent

I remember this school. The things that I experienced were quite surprising. As I recall they would take note of the students that had the lowest performance rates on a list... then slowly they would go through the list and encourage the student to drop out or to transfer to different schools. I assume this was to keep the ranking of the school up? I don't really know, and that practice might have changed by now. The teachers that attempted to help these students to succeed were many times overwrought with difficulty and resistance. There also seemed to be a major lack of communication across the system and intense focus in only specific areas. The building is also badly constructed for mental health as there is little natural sunlight and the shape is hive like. Many of the teachers also seemed to be overloaded with work and so students were not properly attended to. The lack of diversity is also a bit disconcerting. So, from the perspective of an alternative learner I would really suggest going somewhere else.

I went to Fairview for a year and transferred to nearby Centaurus High in May of that year, and I was floored at how incredible the difference was. At Fairview I felt like I was always working and like I was always being judged from every direction. The theatre and music departments especially were almost cruel in their ruthlessness. When I transferred I realized that the work I'd been doing at FHS was essentially busywork, and that I could learn just as well without the sadistic workload administered by FHS staff. Now in the CHS IB Programme, I can assure you that if you are eager to learn, you should come to Centaurus rather than to Fairview. The teachers there actually care and are willing to help students learn without assigning them hours upon hours of busywork, and CHS IB kids get more 1-on-1 attention because while FHS is simply too big for such rigor, Centaurus IB classes hover around 20 students. The IB test results and a 95% success rate at CHS demonstrate this perfectly. Please, if you want to do IB, don't let the test scores fool you. As a former student, I know that this school is not for kids who enjoy learning and achieving. It is a school for kids who enjoy working.
—Submitted by a student

As a sophomore who attends FHS, I have a very different perspective from many of the parents whose kids attend Fairview. What you should know right off the bat is that Fairview is a VERY competitive school. The work is difficult if you are in Pre-IB/AP/IB classes. The IB Diploma is an insane amount of work, basically you don't have a life outside of school. Although the IB Diploma is good, it doesn't do much for you unless you are going to college out of the country or are planning to be in the very top of your class and attend an Ivy League School. I do not take part in any sports but I know for a fact that many of them are good. The teacher at Fairview from very good to good to very bad.The Social Studies department has some phenomenal teachers, especially Pre-IB teachers. The music department is also very very good. In my opinion the best in the district, if not the state. The bottom line is if you are willing to work your butt off and are willing to learn then Fairview is the perfect school for you.
—Submitted by a student

Fairview High School has a dedicated stuff of teachers, counselors, and administrators who really care about our students, and they push our kids to succeed.
—Submitted by a parent

Fairview is a great school for people with any strengths and interests. The athletic program is very strong and wins, even in the 5A division (the largest high school division)- in the past year, the football team made the state Final Four, the boys' basketball team made the state finals, and both the ultimate frisbee and girls' soccer teams won their respective state championships. Many other teams made other levels in the playoffs. The fine arts department is exceptional- the advanced choirs are well known. The academic program is clearly well ahead of almost all other public high schools- the test scores from Fairview are very high (SAT, ACT, PSAT, CSAP, AP, IB, etc.) and many seniors each year are accepted into top universities. IB is a challenging, rigorous program. Student Council, Knight Crew, and NHS develop leadership.
—Submitted by a student

Fairview High School provided me with exellent academics, incredible athletics, and an outstanding fine arts program. I felt independent to choose my own path for my future but knew that any path I would be guided by the fantastic academics of Fairview High School.
—Submitted by a student

Fairview High School not only excels in academic performance but the staff and faculty provide a caring and nurturing environment for every student
—Submitted by a parent

FHS has a variety of courses for every child and excels in academic performance.
—Submitted by a parent

As a former student, I truly cannot give high enough praise to the quality of the academics, athletics, and extracurriculars of Fairview High School.
—Submitted by a student

Fairview is wonderful. My daughter has been in the IEP program and the support and hard work these teachers give has been exceptional.
—Submitted by a parent

We've pretty much had it with Fairview. My child isn't in the IB program and virtually every teacher he has had in a year and a half have been entrenched, inflexible and unresponsive. It's difficult to get a hold of teachers (voice mail box system doesn't allow you to leave messages with most after school hours). We're pulling my son out at the end of the semester.
—Submitted by a parent

Fairview has been a wonderful school. It offers challenges that I and my son expect in its IB program along with an excellent choice of extracurricular activities for those who want to participate. We feel that we are definitely on the right track for college and Fairview is helping us to achieve that. Of course, with Fairview or any other high school it is what you make of it and how much effort you are willing to put into your education.
—Submitted by a parent

Fairview has undergone a tremendous amount of change over the last 4 years. The current school administration is much more caring, involved, and consistent with the students, the parents, the teachers and the community. The IB program is unique as one does not have to test into the program and one can pick and choose whether to take an IB core class or a regular level core class. Teachers who teach both IB and non-IB classes are the better teachers. There are some non-IB teachers who are awful, especially in the Language Arts department. The Math and Science departments are very challenging, regardless of whether you are an IB or non-IB student due to expectations and in some cases, the teacher. The fine arts department produces fantastic productions. Vocational education is available as half day classes during junior and senior year. Many seniors are accepted into top universities.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school for the kids in the IB program. The kids not in the IB program can get the short stick at times. My child has had some good teachers, and some awful teachers. In particular, we've found the social studies program to be the highlight in regards to teachers....even for kids just taking regular, and not IB and AP classes. It also has a wonderful music program.
—Submitted by a parent

A truly outstanding public high school with world-class academics and extracurricular activities. The workload is considerable, the expectations are high, and the students themselves - at least at the IB level - have little tolerance for the kind of distractions that so often plague our public schools. A great place for a kid to get an education; one should expect no less from a staff of the caliber of the one at Fairview.
—Submitted by a teacher

great school, teachers.
—Submitted by a student

You get out of an education what you put into it. If you want to learn The teachers at Fairview will give you an excellent education! Lots of one on one teacher time if you want or need it. Coming from Fairview I was actually a bit underwhelmed with my college classes. Absolutley top knotch Fine Arts program as well!
—Submitted by Amanda Holtz

Well, about the earlier comment(the one on June 2003) is not a very good comment. The person who wrote that does not write very well and therefore her child probably did not either. The school was probably to hard for her. Another thing is that any school in Boulder is going to have rich kids in it because most of Boulder is rich. I think that it is wrong to judge a school based on the kids that go there. People want to know about the quality and the academic environment of the school, not the financial standings of the students. If you look at the test scores you will see that Fairview is extremely high and that shows that most of the students are doing well in that school. As a student there I was challenged everyday of my life. The teachers treated all of the students fairly and didn't care about your financial situation. All they cared about was making sure that you did the best that you could. That is the best thing that a school can do. By the way, my name is Kristin and I was the one who wrote the other parent comment.
—Submitted by a former student

I believe Fairview is one of the worst schools you can send your child to. The whole school is only the rich ones, and the childern that don't have money are left out. My child will not be attending next year as her senior year since she has had such a bad time.