Brighton High School, which dates back to the late 19th century, was one of the first comprehensive high schools in Colorado. The school has been located in many different facilities over its existence, including its current facilities and what is now the Brighton Heritage Academy.
Campus
Brighton High School is located in the heart of Brighton, Colorado at 270 South 8th Avenue. The classrooms are divided into 7 sections: WS, TA, SB, NB, CA, UA, and MOD.
Facilities
The north hall of Brighton High School is the original section of the school, built in 1948. It is a two-story building which includes Bill Gamble's Gymnasium, a wrestling gymnasium, auditorium, the "Dawg Diner", locker bay, and various classrooms. The classrooms in this building serve as the location for most of the students' core classes. This section of the school has undergone many renovations, most notably in the late 1970s, early 1990s, and mid-2000s. The Comprehensive Learning Center is a facility built in 1973 as an additional building, separate from the main high school. It was constructed to alleviate overcrowding. This one-story building now includes the counseling office, gymnasium, locker rooms, band room, choir room, numerous computer labs, school store, auto shop, locker bay, and more classrooms. Classes in the CLC serve mainly as elective courses. This building also underwent renovations in the early 1990s and mid-2000s. A 2006 addition/renovation of the high school relieved the overcrowding, as the school was then at over double capacity. The construction of the central hall allowed for a roofed walkway and lobby to connect the north hall to the CLC. The renovation included the construction of a lobby, library, main office, drama wing, athletic offices, locker rooms, and weight room. Supplementing this addition was the creation of the district's second high school, Prairie View High School. Modulars, or "mods," have also been placed on the campus of the school since the 2000s to allow for extra class room. The numbers of mods has increased over the years in over to allow for more classroom space, but after the 2006 addition/renovation, the number decreased. As the city of Brighton continued to expand, another temporary modular was installed. There are currently five mods on school grounds, each containing two classrooms. They serve as the location for all math classes, as there is no other room in the other buildings.
Courses
Advanced Placement
Brighton High School offers 17 AP courses as of spring 2020:
AP Physics B and AP Chemistry were on a rotating schedule: AP Chemistry being offered one year and then AP Physics B offered the next, and vice versa. There was a push to offer both courses each year, which was granted at the end of the 2010 school year, to take effect the following year. The school participates in weighed grades for students taking Honors and/or Advanced Placement courses for the class of 2010 and beyond. For each Honors class, a student receives an additional 0.5 credit on their GPA for each class taken. Likewise, in an AP class, a student receives an additional 1.0 credit on their GPA for each class. Although this system was enacted with the entry of the Class of 2010, it did not affect previous classes.
Extracurricular activities
Athletics
Brighton High School is a member of the 5A East Metro League of the Colorado High School Activities Association. The school offers a variety of sports for all three school seasons: Fall
The Theater Department at Brighton High School has a history of more than twenty years with its current director. Actors and techies in the department annually put together a Fall Play and Spring Musical, with various One-Acts and Diner Theaters to fill open periods of time. The auditorium, which seats over 500 audience members, sports a newly renovated stage from the 1950s. During the 2008 Colorado Thespian Conference, students who were part of the International Thespian Society at Brighton High School were chosen to perform their act, "The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet," and at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2018 the department was nominated for Best Overall Production at the awards for their rendition of Once on This Island.
