Durango Big Picture High School

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-R’s educational options for high school students. We w

ent 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.

🤗 It's Friday Feels! 🤗  🎓 This week, about 150 graduating seniors from Durango High School and Durango Big Picture High ...
05/22/2026

🤗 It's Friday Feels! 🤗 🎓 This week, about 150 graduating seniors from Durango High School and Durango Big Picture High School returned to the elementary and middle schools where their journeys began for Walk Stars. It's the third year of a new tradition organized by the DSD Communications team and hosted by DHS Student Council to remind us what school community is all about.

🙌 Across Durango School District on Wednesday, hallways filled with cheers, tears, hugs, high-fives, and gasps of recognition as seniors reunited with former teachers and staff who helped shape their path. Some revisited old classrooms. Some swung on the playground and played the parachute game one more time. Some simply stood still for a moment, taking in how far they’ve come. And lining the hallways were younger students, eyes wide with excitement, imagining their own future walk in the spotlight someday.

It was more than a celebration of graduation. It was a beautiful reminder of connection, growth, belonging, and the lasting impact schools and educators have on young people over time.

From curious kindergarteners to graduating seniors ready for what’s next, this is the heart of Portrait of a Graduate. What a joyful and emotional day across DSD. 💙




🎓 Big day for Big Picture! Durango Big Picture High School’s Class of 2026 will take the stage tonight from 5:30 to 7 p....
05/21/2026

🎓 Big day for Big Picture!

Durango Big Picture High School’s Class of 2026 will take the stage tonight from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Rotary Park. If you can’t make it in person, we’ve got you covered. Join us live on YouTube and cheer them on from anywhere.

Watch here: https://youtube.com/live/65D1WUuhI1I

Let’s send this class off in style. 💚🖤



Durango School District (DSD) will honor the Class of 2026 with two upcoming graduation ceremonies for Durango Big Pictu...
05/12/2026

Durango School District (DSD) will honor the Class of 2026 with two upcoming graduation ceremonies for Durango Big Picture High School (DBPHS) and Durango High School (DHS). Families, friends, and community members are invited to celebrate these momentous milestones. Both events will be livestreamed for those who can't attend in person.

🎓 Durango Big Picture High School Graduation: Thursday, May 21, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Rotary Park (1565 E. 2nd Ave., Durango)

🎓 DHS Graduation: Friday, May 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the DHS campus (2390 Main Ave., Durango)

Get more details about the events here: https://ow.ly/UM2Z50YYlMM

05/06/2026

🍎 This week, we celebrate the heart of Durango School District — our incredible teachers and staff.

Thank you for the early mornings, late nights, steady encouragement, creativity, patience, and care you pour into students every single day. Whether you work in classrooms, cafeterias, buses, offices, libraries, maintenance, technology, counseling, or behind the scenes, you make a difference for kids and families across our community.

Public education is powered by people who show up with heart, even during challenging times. We are grateful for each and every one of you. 💙


⏰ Save the date- Friday evening! ⏰  Join us for a sneak peek and tour of the new Durango Big Picture High School buildin...
05/06/2026

⏰ Save the date- Friday evening! ⏰ Join us for a sneak peek and tour of the new Durango Big Picture High School building (281 Sawyer Drive, Suite 300) on Friday, May 8, from 5-6 p.m. This event is specifically for families and students interested in enrolling for the 2026-27 school year. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the facility, connect with Principal Samantha Tower, and meet student representatives.

While this preview is for prospective students, the general public will be invited to a fall Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting event, currently planned for Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The renovation project was made possible through community support of the 2024 Investing in Our Schools Bond, and DSD staff members will move into the permanent facility in August. For more information, visit the Durango Big Picture website or call (970) 259-0203.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/hYUW50YUPUV



👷 Progress continues on DSD's 2024 Investing in Our Schools Bond program, with roadway work on the Wilson Gulch extensio...
05/04/2026

👷 Progress continues on DSD's 2024 Investing in Our Schools Bond program, with roadway work on the Wilson Gulch extension currently underway to provide access for the new Three Springs Elementary School.

🏘️ The district is now executing leases for staff at Lightner Creek Village Apartments. Additionally, renovations for Durango Big Picture High School (DBPHS) are 99% complete, with the DBPHS team preparing for a move-in this fall.

🛠️ Learn more about Bond progress here: https://ow.ly/szJr50YTysG

Durango Big Picture High School's new home is 99% complete, and the district has opened a new workforce-housing application window and begun constructing a roadway extension leading to the Three Springs Elementary School campus. Funded by the 2024 Investing in Our Schools bond, these milestones prov...

04/21/2026

👋 It’s Meet Us Monday! 👋 Junior Tava Gilpin Reynolds is a former student member of the DSD Board of Education. She shares why she chose the small, internship-based model of Durango Big Picture High School.

It’s real-world learning, with a built-in community of 100 new friends.



04/13/2026

👋 It's Meet Us Monday! 👋 Meet AyLora Youngvall, a junior at Durango Big Picture High School.

AyLora is open about being dyslexic, and she has big goals — she wants to become an astrophysicist. At Big Picture, she’s found a learning environment that works with how she learns. Through personalized support and real-world, interest-driven projects, AyLora is building confidence and staying focused on her future in science.

At Durango Big Picture High School, students like AyLora are proving that there’s more than one path to success — and it can lead all the way to the stars. ✨



04/07/2026

👋 It’s Meet Us Monday! 👋 Meet Lily Tower, a senior at Durango Big Picture High School who has found her voice—and her path.

Lily is passionate about English and writing, and at DBPHS, she’s been able to lean into that passion in a way that feels meaningful and motivating. She shares that the Big Picture model has helped her stay focused and inspired, because her learning connects directly to her future goals.

At DBPHS, students are supported in exploring who they are and where they’re headed. For Lily, that means building confidence as a writer—and stepping into what comes next with purpose.

Learn more about Big Picture here: https://ow.ly/UtXH50YEMPj



03/30/2026

👋 It's Meet Us Monday! 👋 Say hello to Emilee Golden, a senior at Durango Big Picture High School who is turning her passion into a plan.

Emilee loves cosmetology. At DBPHS, she’s been able to shape her learning around that goal. Through personalized projects and real-world experiences, she’s building the skills she needs for a future in the beauty industry.

At DBPHS, students don’t just follow a schedule— they design a path. Emilee is proof that when learning connects to purpose, it clicks.




🎉 Save the date! 🎉 Looking for summer youth activities, support, or just a fun evening with your family? Mark your calen...
03/26/2026

🎉 Save the date! 🎉 Looking for summer youth activities, support, or just a fun evening with your family? Mark your calendar for the 2026 Durango Education Foundation Spring Resource Fair! It will be held April 1, 4-6:30 p.m. at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Connect with 50+ local organizations offering programs, services, and resources for kids and families across our community.

✨ Free dinner!
🎈 Balloon animals with Ruby Balloons
🎨 Face painting, stickers, and giveaways
💡 Financial help for summer camps and activities

Families can learn about two powerful funding opportunities — Team Up La Plata’s scholarship fund and the new Holland Opportunity Fund — helping open doors for students all summer long.

Address

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

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