Ponderosa High School

Set in PARKER, Colorado, Ponderosa High School is a roomy senior high, overseen by Douglas County School District No. Re 1. It educates 1,406 students across grades 9 through 12. That puts it 124% larger than the typical public school in Colorado, which averages around 627 students.

Across the 89 schools in Douglas County School District No. Re 1 (61,550 students total), Ponderosa High School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Ponderosa High School shows that the largest single group is White, at 77% of enrollment. The remainder is composed of 15% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, 2% Black. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 69 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 20.3:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 16.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 16% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, On a poverty-adjusted basis, Ponderosa High School sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 57.1%; actual is 36.4%, a gap of -20.8 points.

Across the wider county, Douglas County reports that median household income runs about $149,594, 62% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 3% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Douglas County's 92 public schools (combined enrollment of about 63,841 students), Ponderosa High School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Sagewood Middle School, around 0.9 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Ponderosa High School at 8th of 8; the average score across the group is 51.0%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count climbed 4%: 1,349 students in 2018 compared to 1,406 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, members of the Ponderosa High School community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.