Conifer Senior High School

This school is a WOW. The principal and staff are amazingly engaged, enthusiastic and creative. This especially in light of the current dismal state of public school funding in Colorado. The principals leadership is very insightful. Opportunities for improvement are targeted based on quantifiable and well substantiated research and then tracked for progress and effectiveness. Their goal is to ensure that all kids are challenged and college ready whether they are planning to go in that direction or not. Kids are treated as adults, given responsibility and coached and mentored to make good choices. Academic emphasis is very strong. Parent involvement is surprisingly low (PTA, etc.) especially given the success overall. I believe that says a lot about the commitment and enthusiasm of the staff. Diversity is encouraged and supported with a strong effort to give kids lots of options to pursue their passions. With Colorado's dismal public school funding, they have worked very hard to maintain options and programs that allow all kids enrichment while at the same time keeping very high academic standards. All kids take the 4 core classes (Math, LA, Science, SS) all 4 years.
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from this school, I will say the staff for the most part is great. However be wary of the lifestyle choices of the students search the Internet about drugs in conifer high you will pull up a few hits at least. This school was notorious for drugs when I went just FYI.
—Submitted by a student

My kids transferred here and the teachers and staff are great and very involved with helping students achieve their goals. Everyone has been friendly and helpful and the kids are very involved with the sports programs and are enjoying it.
—Submitted by a parent

Great teachers & great kids.
—Submitted by a parent

We just sent our oldest off to the University of CO. Boulder. He went all four years to CHS. We also have a boy in the 10th grade and one that will be a freshman next year. We love the school and moved here several years ago because of the good public schools and have not been disappointed. We moved here the year before CHS opened. We believed the school offered a quality public education that has just gotten better over the years.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended conifer my freshman year and thought it was okay. It doesn't have all the language opportunities that it should have and some of the staff is a little grouchy.
—Submitted by a student

I attended CHS for all 4 years of my high school career and loved it! Towards the end of my senior year, my friend and I would talk to the principal jokingly saying that we were going to send in applications to teach there because we didn't want to leave. He said he would accept us but we had to get our college education fist. Part of me wishes that I wanted to be a techer because if I was I would love to work at CHS!
—Submitted by a student

I am a current senior at Conifer High School, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. The people very friendly and welcoming. There is almost no violence. I always feel safe, and welcomed at Conifer. There are a myriad of clubs, and high level sport teams at conifer, and the administration is open to the creation of new ones. The academics are as challenging as the student chooses to make them, there are a wide variety of AP and honors programs. Conifer has produced many outstanding students, including a My Student My Hero award winner, and a Boettcher Scholor. The teachers are also consitently nominated for awards, and we have had My Teacher My Hero award winners, a Fulbright Teacher Award winner, and district best teachers, in every area from language, to social science, art, math and science.
—Submitted by a student

After attending a private school for most of her elementary and middle school years we were a little nervous about switching to a public school. Our fears were unfounded. My daughter has had a great experience at CHS. She is now a Junior and has experienced a quality, challenging education with caring, knowledgeable teachers (not all of them of course, but most of them.) She has made great friends as well. The one area the school could improve greatly is in the area of sports. Too much emphasis is put on individual sports, and it frequently doesn't allow students to experience more than one activity at a time.
—Submitted by a parent

I was very dissappointed in Conifer High School. I transferred my last child out of the school. Having lived in the area for a long time I had great hopes in Conifer High, when we finally got our own High School, and weren't part of Evergreen anymore. The dynamics weren't what they should be. Some of the teachers lacking in motivation, leadership problems. Many of the students not focused on what was important such as academics, I saw a lot of harrassment of students by students, more than what I hear happens at other schools in the district. I hope the new changes in staff will help get the school on the right track, just too late for us.
—Submitted by a parent

With many recent changes in staffing and having two students over the course of 9 years(with a year in between) Conifer is a great school. It is not always the most traditional school spirit filled place but the academics, sports, and activities all seem to work hard and achieve great things. There are many great students, faculty, and other staff members at the school who provide for a great learning environment.
—Submitted by a parent

Conifer has good academic programs. Good AP courses are available with good teachers. Languages are limited to spanish and french. My son has only witnessed one case of Bush bashing in the classroom - it was by his Biology teacher. My daughter participates on the brand new girls lacrosse team which was formed by combining with Evergreen High School. There is good parent involvement in all Conifer area schools. Conifer is unincorporated Jefferson County, there is no parks and rec district. The schools are one of the few things we have to bring people together.
—Submitted by Matthew Lewis, a parent

Conifer High School is a decent school for alumni or any other attendes. The school has a very good football team, and also a remarkable sport record. However academically, you are limited in programs somewhat, you have your core classes and a some electives that aren't in-depth compared to say Arapahoe ones. A Myriad of the teachers are very young, some just even graduating, so it's hard to say about the experience level, which could be lacking for many. Finally, this school does have some of the brightest students and most comforting environments at times, however it's still a solid school if your wanting something in a local neighboorhood.
—Submitted by a student