Niwot High School continues to excel

When it comes to the multitude of success stories coming out of Niwot High School these days, the statistics speak for themselves.

Academically, NHS remains the only school in the St. Vrain Valley School District with an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, in which there is a 40% participation rate. An impressive 72% of students are taking at least one IB or Advanced Placement (AP) class. And, NHS students currently boast one of the highest SAT scores in the district at 1103 and one of the highest PSAT composite scores in the State of Colorado.

Niwot High School has become a true “destination” school, said principal Eric Rauschkolb. Seventy percent of NHS students are open enrolled, and this year’s ninth grade students come from 50 different middle schools.

With this level of diversity and talent coming from all over our region and state, it is no wonder that students at Niwot High School also excel in all areas of high school life. There are 61 clubs at NHS, and more than 90% of students participate in at least one non-academic activity on campus.

The Unified Programs at Niwot High School help connect students with special needs to the culture, fun and success of Niwot’s clubs and extracurriculars with programs in theater, bowling, and basketball. In its athletic endeavors, in the past ten years (2014-2023) NHS boasts 20 State Team Championships, 118 Individual State Champions, a National Team Championship (NHS Girls Cross Country 2021) and one 2023-2024 Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year, Addison Ritzenhein.

Senior Lily Sykes, one of two drum majors in the NHS Marching Band, chose to open enroll at Niwot from inside the district. Her resume is impressive, and also includes being one of two Niwot High School National Merit Scholar Semi-finalists this academic year.

Sykes is headed abroad this fall and credits the high school’s IB program and academic rigor as keys to her acceptance into college overseas. She also praised the teaching staff, saying “I truly love my teachers at NHS, they are all so wonderful and enthusiastic in the classroom.”

Another impressive academic statistic is that NHS students in 2023 bought in more than $23 million dollars in college scholarship offers and have been accepted into every Ivy League school in recent years.

SVVSD Superintendent Don Haddad is very proud of one of his top performing high schools. As a former NHS principal himself, he highlighted the winning tradition of NHS students in both academic and athletic achievements.

The SVVSD guide to high schools lists NHS as a Top-10 high school by the Denver Business Journal and a #1 for 4A Athletics by Mile High Magazine. Niche, a database that connects families with schools and colleges, utilizes both high school academic and athletic scores and statistics as well as reviews from students/families to come up with school rankings around the country. It recently listed NHS as itsniche.com/k12/search/best-magnet-high-schools/s/colorado/" target="_blank"> top magnet high school in Colorado (2024) and #8 on its list of Best College Prep Public High Schools in Colorado (2024). Full rankings information can be found on niche.com.

Karen Ragland, current NHS parent and president of the SVVSD Board of Education, has been involved in and with Niwot High School for the past several years as all three of her children have or soon will be NHS graduates. She highlights how beautiful Niwot’s campus and location is and has seen first hand how successful the school’s current students and alumni are. “Whether it’s academic, athletic, or one of the school’s many clubs and student-led groups, there is something for everyone at Niwot,” she said.

For those interested in following along with all the excitement happening at Niwot High School, go to nhs.svvsd.org or check out the school’s official Instagram Page: @NIWOTHS.