Summary
Bear Creek High School is located in the southwest corner of Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of the greater Denver metro area. It is one of 18 high schools in Jefferson County.
| Bear Creek High School | |
|---|---|
 Bear Creek High School (completed 2009) | |
| Address | |
 | |
9800 West Dartmouth Place , Colorado 80227 United States | |
| Coordinates | 39°39′28″N 105°6′28″W / 39.65778°N 105.10778°W |
| Information | |
| Established | 1920 |
| School district | Jefferson County Public Schools |
| CEEB code | 061043 |
| Staff | 83.38 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,530 (2018-19)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 18.35[1] |
| Color(s) | Forest green and gold[2] |
| Athletics | CHSAA 5A |
| Athletics conference | Jefferson County League |
| Mascot | Bear |
| Publication | Bear Creek Television Network |
| Newspaper | Bear Facts |
| Website | bearcreekhs |
The school colors are forest green, gold, and white. The mascot is a bear. The principal is Shannon Vigil. There are 1,634 students as of October 2018,[3] along with 87 full-time teachers.[4] It is a Class 4A Athletic Program and has over 34 clubs and activities.
History edit
Bear Creek High School was established in 1894 as the Montana School.[6][7] The school was a single room that served elementary grades one through eight. It was not until 1920 that the neighboring community decided to consolidate, thus giving the region its first high school.[8] Before the school was built, all students planning to continue their education either had to live in or commute to schools in Denver.[9]
The Bear Creek Consolidated school combined five elementary school districts. The four other schools were Montana School, Lakeview, Midway and Mount Carbon.[9]
The first class in 1923 consisted of five graduates. From this point on, the school was known as the Bear Creek Consolidated School.[8]
By 1950, all of the schools in Jefferson County had been consolidated and became the Jefferson County School District R-1.[7]
The class of 1952 became the first to graduate in the newly named Bear Creek High School.[7]
Although a fire in 1959 destroyed the original structure, classes were still held in the gymnasium. The new building was built just east of where the current school stands.[7] This building stood for nearly 57 years until a new building, completed in 2009, was built where the original Consolidated School once stood.[10]
On April 22, 2008, during the construction of the new building, Bear Creek High School students experienced another major fire that damaged a gymnasium and several classrooms.[12] After further investigation, it was determined that the fire was an act of arson by two unnamed Bear Creek students.[13] The cause of the fire was a discarded cigarette which caught an exercise mat on fire. This was the second fire within a year at a Jefferson County school. On June 1 at Weber Elementary School a fire that was determined to also be arson, caused nearly $65 million in total damages.[13]
Notable alumni edit
- Dennis Rasmussen, former MLB player (San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals)[14]
- Marc Schiechl, NFL player (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Jeremiah Sirles, NFL player[15]
- Bisi Johnson, NFL player (Minnesota Vikings)
- Carey Lowell, actress
- Julie McCluskie, Member of the Colorado House of Representatives, and Speaker of the House (January, 2023)
References edit
- ^ a b c "BEAR CREEK HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ "JEFFCO Public Schools - Bear Creek High Profile". jeffcopublicschools.org. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ "Demographics: Bear Creek High" (PDF). JEFFCO Public Schools. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ "Bear Creek High School Overview". US News.
- ^ "Bear Tracks 1947-1948" (PDF). Bear Creek Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ "BCHS History". Bear Creek High School. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Bear Creek High School Community Foundation". Bear Creek Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ a b "Bear Creek High School Community Foundation History". Bear Creek Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ a b Wilcox, Patricia (1994). Lakewood, Colorado: An Illustrated Biography. Lakewood, Colorado: Lakewood's 25th Anniversary Commission. p. 34. ISBN 0-9641751-1-8.
- ^ "Bear Creek High School Construction Overview". JEFFCO Public Schools. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "BCHS History". Bear Creek High School. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ "Fire at Bear Creek High School Extinguished". The Denver Channel. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ a b Schrader, Ann (23 April 2008). "Arson Gutted Bear Creek High Gym". The Denver Post. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "Dennis Rasmussen". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "Jeremiah Sirles". Chargers. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
External links edit
- Official website