Fairview High School is a public, coeducational, comprehensive BVSD secondary school located in Boulder, Colorado, 26 miles (40 km) northwest of Denver. Nearly two thousand students attend the school. It is in the 5A category of the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA). The school's enrollment was 1,977 in the 2024–25 school year.
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History
Fairview High School originally opened in 1960, in a building on Baseline Road that is now home to Nevin Platt Middle School. The current school building opened in 1971, designed by Hobart D. Wagener, a Boulder architect who designed other local public buildings such as the University of Colorado Kittredge Dormitories and Williams Village. The modernist building was initially lauded for its 'avant-garde' design, which featured hexagonal classroom clusters, ramps, and open classroom concept that was popular in the 1970s.
Academics
In 2020, Fairview was ranked 249th by U.S. News & World Report in their National High School Rankings; 7th best high school in Colorado, also by US News; 2nd best public high school in Colorado by Niche; and best college prep public high school in Colorado, also by Niche. The school offers kids help with college preparation through its college and Career Center. Fairview has a reputation for being academically demanding.
Athletics
Sexual assault controversy
On November 22, 2019, the Fairview High School football team's star quarterback and three star Northwestern recruit, Aidan Atkinson, was arrested on three counts of sexual assault, five counts of unlawful sexual misconduct, and one count of attempted sexual assault after he turned himself in to police. The case was reported on by the USA Today, the Denver Post, and the Boulder Daily Camera, among other publications. In 2021, he was found not guilty on most charges and later plead guilty to two lesser charges of misdemeanor harassment. As a result of the school's handling of the incident, the principal was placed on leave and later retired as a Title IX investigation was initiated.
Notable alumni
Academics
Lada Adamic, network scientist
Natalia Toro (born c. 1985, class of 1999) - physicist at the Perimeter Institute
Actors and musicians
Jessica Biel (born 1982, class of 2000) - actress in films and television, played Mary Camden in TV series 7th Heaven, married to singer-actor Justin Timberlake; Biel never fully attended Fairview, she was only tutored there, though she did attend feeder school Southern Hills Middle.
Ace Young (born 1980, class of 1999) - American Idol finalist
Jill Goodacre (born 1964, class of 1982) - former model and actress, married to musician Harry Connick Jr.
Sheryl Lee (born 1967, class of 1985) - actress, played Laura Palmer on TV show Twin Peaks
Rudresh Mahanthappa (born 1971, class of 1988) - jazz alto saxophonist and composer, Guggenheim fellow
Dizzy Reed - keyboardist, Guns N' Roses
Jacob Sproul (born 1983, Class of 2001) - rhythm guitarist and vocalist of rock band Rose Hill Drive
Joan Van Ark (born 1943, class of 1961) - actress, played Valene Ewing in primetime soap opera Knots Landing
Sheree J. Wilson (born 1958, class of 1977) - played April on TV series Dallas, and Alex on Walker, Texas Ranger
Sean Foreman (Born 1985, class of 2003) - Vocalist for the electronic pop duo 3OH!3.
Josh Andres Rivera (Born 1995, class of 2012) - Actor, known for West Side Story, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and American Sports Story.
Athletes
Joe Barry (born 1970), run game coordinator and linebackers coach for Miami Dolphins
Kenny Bell (born 1992, class of 2010) - NFL wide receiver
Tony Boselli (born 1972, class of 1991) - Hall of Fame NFL offensive tackle selected 2nd overall in 1995 NFL draft and first overall in 2002 NFL expansion draft; five-time Pro Bowler (1996–2000); three-time All-Pro (1997–99)
Tom Chambers (born 1959, class of 1977) - basketball player, selected 8th overall in 1981 NBA draft, four-time All-Star, played for 1992-93 Phoenix Suns team that lost to Chicago Bulls in NBA Finals
Jesse Crain (born 1981, class of 1999) - MLB pitcher
Daryl Dickey (born 1961), football administrator, coach and player
Chris Foote (born 1956), NFL center
Heather Gilchrist (born 2004), soccer player
Margo Hayes (born 1998, class of 2016) - professional climber and first woman to climb a route graded 9a+
Jay Howell (born 1955), three-time All-Star MLB pitcher
Carlo Kemp (born 1998), American football player
Scott Lockwood (born 1968) - NFL running back
Dustin Lyman - NFL football player
John Mozeliak (born 1969, class of 1987) - general manager of MLB's St. Louis Cardinals (2007-2025), 2011 World Series champion
Other
Hillary Hall (born 1965) - Boulder Colorado county clerk
Ishani Shrestha (born 1991, class of 2009) - 2013 Miss World Top 10 contestant and winner of 2013 Beauty With a Purpose, Miss Nepal 2013
Jessica Watkins (born 1988, class of 2006) - NASA astronaut, geologist, rugby player, and aquanaut.
Notable staff
Current staff
Shayne Culpepper, two-time Olympian in track and field and guidance counselor
Former staff
Carol Callan, current USA Basketball Women's National Team Director and former assistant principal (1993-1995) and director of athletics (1986-1995) of Fairview
Alan Culpepper, two-time Olympian in track and field and former (2019-2021) Fairview cross-country coach