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Durango Big Picture High School

Public Grades 9-12

312^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 338 Colorado High Schools

Better than 8% of Colorado high schools

Summary

Durango Big Picture High School is a small public high school in Durango, Colorado, serving 99 students in grades 9–12 as part of the Durango School District No. 9-R. The school serves a high-need population, with 56.6% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025, the highest rate among nearby high schools, and a student-to-teacher ratio of just 8.9, giving students an unusually personalized learning environment.

Academically, the school's biggest challenge is math. Only 15% of 10th graders were proficient in math on the PSAT10 in 2025–2026, compared to 54% at Durango High School and a 39% state average. Reading and writing scores have historically been closer to state averages but dropped to 40% proficiency in the most recent year, below the state's 65%. On a more positive note, graduation rates have improved dramatically, jumping from 33.3% in 2021–2022 to 77.8% in 2024–2025, and dropout rates fell from 8.4% to 2.8% over the same period. Chronic absenteeism, however, remains a serious concern, affecting 40.8% of students in 2024–2025.

The contrast with nearby schools is striking. Just 1.57 miles away, Durango High School boasts a 96.8% graduation rate and 54% math proficiency, while Animas High School—another small, project-based school—has a 90.3% graduation rate and only 16.1% chronic absenteeism. Durango Big Picture actually resembles Ignacio High School more closely: both serve high-poverty populations with similar graduation rates, absenteeism, and math scores. The school shows real signs of progress, but sustaining that momentum will require targeted work on math instruction, attendance, and support for students facing economic instability.

Students ?

8.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$29,311

Per pupil spending ?

56.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

150 Tech Center Dr
Durango, CO 81301

(970) 259-0203

District: Durango School District No. 9-R

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.6%

Hispanic:

25.3%

American Indian:

8.1%

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Compare Durango Big Picture High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 35th percentile in 2015 → 8th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (28% vs 52% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Colorado average (78% vs 86%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg64%

Colorado avg52%

312^th of 338

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 18 pts since 2018

From bottom 25% (2018) to bottom 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Durango School District No. 9-R

28^th of 115Durango School District No. 9-R among Colorado districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	10.3	312 of 338	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	30.4	231 of 328	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.9	215 of 349	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.1	217 of 349	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.5	178 of 221	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.7	313 of 411	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.9	290 of 388	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	32.3	190 of 292	34.9%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing40%-25 vs state

Mathematics15%-24 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Big Picture High School is a school that requires each student to take at least one college class to graduate. The teachers also greatly encourage students to take multiple college-level courses. Teachers will not accept failing work either, and they will work with you to make sure that all of your work is of the highest quality. Close Quote

Schools Near Durango Big Picture High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2026)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2026)	SAT Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	CMAS Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
Durango Big Picture High School	Public	9-12	150 Tech Center Dr	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	No	(970) 259-0203	99	11	8.9	56.6%	57 (57.6%)	1 (1.0%)	25 (25.3%)	2 (2.0%)	8 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.1%)	10.3	312^th of 338 public high schools	7.7%		30.4	231^st of 328 public high schools	29.6%	81	40.0	15.0						$29,311
Southwest Colorado eSchool	Public, Virtual	6-12	701 Camino Del Rio Suite 220	Durango	81301	La Plata County	San Juan boces	No	No	Yes	No	(970) 403-0946	48	2	29.4		36 (75.0%)	2 (4.2%)	7 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$00
Animas High School	Public, Charter	9-12	22 Osprey Way	Durango	81302	La Plata County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 247-2474	249	23	10.9	26.5%	200 (80.3%)	2 (0.8%)	33 (13.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.8%)	39.3	196^th of 338 public high schools	42.0%		40.1	196^th of 328 public high schools	40.2%		60.0	13.0	67.0	24.0	68.0	19.0	47.1	$17,228
Durango High School	Public	9-12	2390 Main Avenue	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	No	(970) 259-1630	1,352	84	16.1	30.1%	915 (67.7%)	11 (0.8%)	304 (22.5%)	6 (0.4%)	66 (4.9%)	2 (0.1%)	48 (3.6%)	77.4	79^th of 338 public high schools	76.6%		71.8	95^th of 328 public high schools	71.0%	16	78.0	54.0						$17,204
Bayfield High School	Public	9-12	800 Co Rd 501	Bayfield	81122	La Plata County	Bayfield School District No. 10Jt-R	No	No	No	No	(970) 884-9521	404	33	12.2	34.4%	288 (71.3%)	2 (0.5%)	78 (19.3%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.2%)	36.7	211^th of 338 public high schools	37.6%		35.8	214^th of 328 public high schools	34.8%	3	73.0	24.0	69.0	34.0	47.0	13.0	18.3	$50,636
Ignacio High School	Public	9-12	315 Becker Street	Ignacio	81137	La Plata County	Ignacio School District No. 11Jt	No	No	No	No	(970) 563-0515	182	20	8.9	47.8%	59 (32.4%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (36.3%)	2 (1.1%)	45 (24.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.5%)	15	298^th of 338 public high schools	11.8%		21.7	261^st of 328 public high schools	20.4%	37	47.0	22.0	43.0	14.0	42.0	8.0	12.5	$27,035

Frequently Asked Questions about Durango Big Picture High School

Is Durango Big Picture High School a good school?

Durango Big Picture High School ranks in the bottom 7.7% of Colorado high schools.

How many students attend Durango Big Picture High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 99 students attended Durango Big Picture High School.

What is the racial makeup of Durango Big Picture High School?

Students at Durango Big Picture High School are 58% White, 25% Hispanic, 8% American Indian, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American, 1% Not Specified.

What district is Durango Big Picture High School in?

Durango School District No. 9-R

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresNewAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.