Academic excellence in Telluride
Students, schools and district aim high, while four seniors find enriching programs outside the classroom
By Amy M. Peters Times Contributor – Nov 27, 2025
The school year started with a bang as Telluride Middle/High School (TM/HS) administrators introduced a campus-wide phone-free policy with limited push-back. In addition, the Telluride School District (TSD) was officially recognized for excellence across all three campuses, while four seniors exceled both academically and in enriching pursuits outside of the classroom.
“The benefits have been amazing,” reported Principal Sara Kimble. “One student recently told me, ‘Last year I had Cs, this year I have As and it’s because I’m not on my phone.’”
As for academic excellence, three students — seniors Lana Kenworthy and Hugh Hatcher, and Bjorn Cristol, now a freshman at CU Boulder — were recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars for scores earned on the PSAT test.
With 96% of last year’s graduating class attending college, a similar percentage of this year’s seniors are currently in the process of applying to college for next year.
The high school no longer designates a valedictorian or salutatorian, preferring to recognize students who successfully complete an academically rigorous Latin honors program while exhibiting honorable behavior instead.
The school district recently received accolades from the Colorado Department of Education for excellence based on specific performance frameworks. In October, banners were delivered to the district honoring Telluride Elementary School with a 2023 Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award; Telluride Middle School with 2023 and 2024 John Irwin Awards, which honor exceptional academic achievement over time, as well as a 2024 Governor’sDistinguished Improvement Award; and TSD with 2023 and 2024 District Accredited with Distinction Awards.
“We continue to be a leading district in the state in terms of our accountability and performance measures,” observed Superintendent John Pandolfo. “That’s important to maintain, but more importantly to improve until we are the best district in the state in terms of performance. We need to close achievement gaps between all students and sub-categories, including students on free and reduced lunch, students of color, multilingual learners and students with disabilities.”
From study abroad programs to online classes, semester programs to Miner School internships, THS students are encouraged to pursue independent enrichment outside the classroom.
“One of the benefits of growing up and attending school in this community is the many opportunities available for students to pursue their passions and interests,” enthused Kimble. “Our students being involved in activities outside the classroom — in athletics, theater, Pinhead, school clubs, volunteering, the environment — helps them grow in ways that can’t always happen in a traditional classroom.”
When Hugh Hatcher was a seventh grader completing homework on Zoom during the pandemic, he began taking self-paced online classes through John Hopkins University, Colorado Digital Learning Solutions, Pennsylvania Homeschoolers and One Schoolhouse. He completed the district math curriculum sophomore year and the science curriculum junior year. With a successful academic track record and a school-designated Advanced Learning Program, Hatcher is allowed a daily period in the library to complete online courses.
Read the entire Telluride Times article here.
