Highlands Ranch High School

Not to be confused with STEM School Highlands Ranch.

Highlands Ranch High School
Location
9375 South Cresthill Lane Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80130 United States
Coordinates	39°32′56″N104°55′50″W / 39.54877°N 104.93055°W / 39.54877; -104.93055
Information
Type	Public secondary school [1]
Motto	Soaring for Excellence—Choose Your Altitude [2]
Established	1987(38 years ago) (1987) [1]
School district	Douglas County School District RE-1 [1]
CEEB code	060742
Principal	Julia Caley
Staff	83.79 (FTE) [3]
Faculty	99 [1]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	1,390 (2023-2024) [3]
Student to teacher ratio	16.59 [3]
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Silver, black, blue
Fight song	"Mighty Falcons" (to the tune of "Mighty Oregon")
Athletics	5A (4A for football)
Athletics conference	Continental League; Football: South Metro 4A
Mascot	Falcons
Rivals	Rock Canyon High School, Mountain Vista High School, ThunderRidge High School, Valor Christian High School
Newspaper	HRHS Chronicle
Yearbook	Talon
Website	hrhs.dcsdk12.org

Highlands Ranch High School, commonly referred to as Ranch or HRHS, is a public high school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. It is part of the Douglas County School District. Its school colors are blue, black, and silver, and its mascot is the Falcon. ^[4] HRHS has 1,390 students in grades 9-12, as well as 83 teachers on staff. ^[5]

History

Highlands Ranch opened in 1987 as the third high school in the district, after Douglas County High School in Castle Rock and Ponderosa High School in Parker. It was the first high school in Highlands Ranch. The rapid population growth in northern Douglas County has resulted in the opening of three other high schools in the area since Highlands Ranch High School opened. ^[6]

Sports

Highlands Ranch High School participates at the 5A level in the Colorado Continental League conference. ^[6] HRHS girls' basketball has had a long-standing dominance in Colorado. Under coach Caryn Jarocki, they won seven state championships between 2000 and 2011. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Performing Arts

Highlands Ranch High School performing arts programs have been recognized nationwide, with their choir even performing at Carnegie Hall. ^{[6] [10]}

Notable alumni

• Erin Baxter (class of 1995), former professional soccer player in the WUSA. ^[11]
• Ryan Burr (class of 2012), pitcher for the Chicago White Sox ^[12]
• Mike Conneen, reporter for WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.^{[ citation needed ]}
• Brian Johnson (class of 1997), former AFL fullback ^[13]
• Jason Kaiser (class of 1992), former NFL, CFL, XFL and AFL safety ^{[6] [14]}
• Drake Nugent (class of 2019), football center for the Michigan Wolverines ^[15]
• Mike Purcell (class of 2009), NFL defensive lineman for the Denver Broncos ^[16]
• Keri Russell, Golden Globe-winning actress and dancer ^{[6] [17]}
• Daniel Schlereth (class of 2004), MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and son of ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth ^[18]
• Brad Stisser (class of 2005), professional soccer player for AC St. Louis ^[19]
• Ann Strother (class of 2002), Director of Operations for Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball and former WNBA player ^[20]
• Kasey Studdard (class of 2002), former NFL offensive guard ^[21]
• Craig Thompson (class of 2004), soccer player for the Real Colorado Foxes ^[22]
• Courtney Zablocki, (class of 1999) 2-time Olympic luger ^[6]

References

1. "2010-11 School Profile" (PDF). January 25, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
2. "HRHS Course Selection Guide 2010-2011" (PDF). January 25, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
3. "HIGHLANDS RANCH HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
4. "About - Highlands Ranch High School". hrhs.dcsdk12.org. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
5. "Search for Public Schools - Highlands Ranch High School (080345001437)". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
6. Delander, Brady (October 21, 2003). "HIGH SCHOOL OF THE WEEK - HIGHLANDS RANCH - School spirit flying high". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
7. "Colorado No. 1 Highlands Ranch wins girls state crown - MaxPreps". MaxPreps.com. March 12, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
8. "Caryn Jarocki first member of girls basketball's 500-win club". The Denver Post. February 15, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
9. "Highlands Ranch girls basketball coach Caryn Jarocki notches 600th career win". The Denver Post. December 8, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
10. Davidson, Joanne (April 1, 1998). "Crowd enjoys chorale gala". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
11. "REGIONAL SCENE WAC TICKETS GO ON SALE". Rocky Mountain News. Denver, Colorado. November 18, 1996.
12. Dzakowic, Morgan (June 9, 2015). "Ryan Burr, former Highlands Ranch pitcher, 1st Colorado player picked in 2015 MLB draft". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
13. "Johnson's switch has helped SaberCats' run". OurSports Central. June 26, 2004. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
14. Briggs, Bill (May 17, 1998). "Sports supplements pervasive in schools". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
15. "Drake Nugent - Football". Stanford University Athletics.
16. Upadhyaya, Parth (July 25, 2019). "Highlands Ranch grad Mike Purcell's football journey leads him back home to Broncos". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
17. Movshovitz, Howie (July 23, 1992). "Kid actress adjusts to the pace - Former Denverite Keri Russell loves being an entertainer". Denver Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
18. Ringolsby, Tracy (July 18, 2008). "Hamilton's honesty refreshing". Rocky Mountain News. Denver, Colorado. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
19. "Brad Stisser - Men's Soccer". Loyola Marymount University Athletics. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
20. Brooks, B.G. (December 8, 2007). "Onboard with game plan Ann Strother's savvy court knowledge seen as plus for CU women". Rocky Mountain News. Denver, Colorado. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
21. Newman, Kyle (July 21, 2017). "Where are they now: Former Colorado prep football star Kasey Studdard boils crawfish, dishes advice to state's current players". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
22. "REGIONAL SCENE". Rocky Mountain News. Denver, Colorado. August 30, 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2022.

External links

• Official website