The national College Board has named Durango High School a Gold member of the 2026 Advanced Placement (AP) School Honor Roll, a distinction awarded to schools that are expanding access to college-level courses and seeing strong student results.
The AP School Honor Roll recognizes high schools that are building a college-going culture, creating meaningful opportunities for students to earn college credit, and preparing graduates for success after high school. DHS’s Gold designation places it among schools nationwide that are showing it’s possible to offer challenging coursework while supporting a wide range of students.
At Durango High School, Advanced Placement courses are a core part of the academic experience. In the Class of 2025:
- 65% of seniors took at least one AP exam during high school
- 55% of seniors earned a score of 3 or higher on at least one AP exam
- 27% of seniors took five or more AP exams
DHS Principal Jon Hoerl said when AP credits are combined with concurrent enrollment, DHS families saved an estimated $7 million in college tuition costs in a single school year.
“When we started 10 years ago, AP was an exclusive opportunity for only select students,” said Hoerl. “We know the research supports students' exposure to college-level curriculum will help support their success in the future. For this reason, we knew we wanted to expand those opportunities for our kids. Last year alone, we had over 500 students take over 900 exams and had the highest pass rate (86%) in quite some time.”
Durango High School currently offers 21 AP courses taught by 17 trained AP teachers across multiple subject areas, giving students the chance to explore advanced learning in ways that align with their interests and future goals.
Durango High School seniors, from left: Mira Quayle, Betty Holcomb, Grady Hooten, and Andre Craig gathered on Jan. 22 to talk about their experiences taking AP classes.
What students say about AP
On Jan. 22, we met up with Durango High School seniors Mira Quayle, Betty Holcomb, Grady Hooten, and Andre Craig to talk about their experiences taking AP classes and tests.
They talked about the importance of planning course work in freshman year – or even getting ready in middle school – and completing prerequisite classes before taking AP. Both Miller and Escalante middle schools in Durango School District offer classes where students can earn high school credits in advance.
"A lot of APs are what you'll see in an entry-level class in college, and they can prepare you for your first year," said Hooten. "If you can get started in your freshman year of high school, it really preps you for what you're going to experience later."
Students shared the reasons why they challenged themselves with the harder AP coursework. They said an increased high school GPA and potential college credit and savings were factors; but they also mentioned the value of rigor and intellectual challenge.
"I've been bored in classes that aren't AP," said Hooten. "I didn't want to waste my time in classes that didn't challenge me."
"I think APs are good because of the course rigor," said Craig. "If you go out of state, you might not get college credit for these classes – if you go to a private school, for example. But whether or not you get credit, it helps you get into college. They really want to see course rigor in high school and they want to see that you have challenged yourself."
A focused class culture and great teachers motivated other students to take AP courses.
"You can tell that everybody wants to be there and they're interested in learning, which makes it easier for me to learn," said Quayle.
Holcomb said AP teachers were some of her favorite teachers, and they worked hard to help students learn the material and work toward the goal of passing the AP tests. Taking AP Economics also inspired her to consider double majoring in economics and social justice in college.
"For me as a freshman, I didn't even think about college. It just wasn't on my mind," said Hooten." I think I would say [to other freshmen]: Just take the APs. You'll be really happy later on when you're saving money or really prepared for life after high school."
What is Advanced Placement, and why does it matter?
Advanced Placement courses are college-level classes offered in high school. Students typically take AP exams in grades 10-12, and many colleges award credit or advanced placement to students who earn qualifying scores.
For families, AP offers several important benefits:
- Saving money on college tuition by earning credits early
- Strengthening college applications through rigorous coursework
- Allowing students to move into higher-level college classes sooner
- Building critical skills like time management, writing, and analytical thinking
AP courses are designed to challenge students while preparing them for what comes next, whether that’s a four-year university, community college, or another postsecondary path. While students often take the AP exam alongside the course, families should know that DHS works to make participation flexible and supportive.
“AP gives students the opportunity to engage with college-level work, earn college credit and placement, and build skills they can use no matter what path they choose after high school,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program at the College Board. “Durango High School’s recognition shows that expanding access and maintaining high performance can go hand in hand.”
Families and students can learn more about Durango High School's program on their website's Advanced Placement page.