LOVELAND, Colo. — Harold Ferguson High School has a longstanding history in Loveland. The Thompson School District school, formerly known as Washington Alternative High School, was started in 1972.
One of the oldest alternative high schools in Colorado, Ferguson serves students who are facing high-risk barriers like troubles at home or with the law, or just need a smaller school environment.
After a few changes of address, the school is located in a newly-renovated building at 1811 15th Street. They share the building with the Thompson Career Campus, a career and technical education center for all five of the district’s high schools.
“As a district, we’re experiencing a transformation around career and technical education,” principal Jason Germain said. “Our eyes as a campus are on the future for our students and getting them prepared for the world of work after high school, or the world of post-secondary education.”
The career campus offers five different career pathways: health science, design and manufacturing, construction skilled trades, information technology and geographical information systems.
Germain is the principal of both Ferguson High School and the Thompson Career Campus. He said having both programs in the same building is a chance for Ferguson students to get back on track.
“Our students are roughly 96% at risk of not graduating high school on time,” Germain said. “So for our students at Ferguson to have that opportunity right down the hallway is just an amazing opportunity.”
Ferguson's mission is to create alternative educational experiences that are different and not less. The high school serves about 150 students each quarter of the school year. Germain said the alternative high school is purposefully small and relationship-based.
“Our class sizes average about 15 students per class, which allows students to get that one-on-one attention and care that they need,” Germain said. “Our classrooms are interactive, oftentimes project-based, and hands-on.”
One of their interactive classrooms is a coffee shop called Grounded. Not only does the student-led, student-run enterprise provide all the food and beverage services for the campus, but the coffee shop also serves as a class in the high school’s business program.
“It ties in with real business classes, business law, things like that,” business teacher Geoff Fleming said. “They can see actual numbers that they created, which is beyond cool.”
“It gave me an opportunity to work and get some work skills out of it,” junior Nevaeh Villa said. “I’ve been interested in business as well, and I kind of wanted to see what it was like.”
Villa has been attending Ferguson High School since her freshman year. She’s also enrolled in the health sciences pathway at the Thompson Career Campus. She said the experience of going to school on both campuses is getting her ready for what’s next after graduation.
“I know that the skills that I have will help me with whatever career I choose,” Villa said. “I like to think about my future, so I see that this is going to help me in the future.”
In each pathway on the Thompson Career Campus, students earn elective credits and core credits in math and science. They also can earn industry certifications and concurrent enrollment or college credit with Aims Community College or Front Range Community College.
“It’s an amazing opportunity, both for the students who attend the Thompson Career Campus from each of the high schools in the district, but also for our students at Ferguson to be paired with a program that allows them to open their eyes to future possibilities and career paths," Germain said.
According to the school, Ferguson has an on-time completion rate of more than 70%, a returning student rate of 92% and a dropout rate of 1.7%, which rivals the district’s traditional high schools. Assistant principal Keysha Martin believes that success is due in part to the proximity and family feel on both campuses.
“It’s easy to forget that sometimes, kids are also going through something,” Martin said. “So the fact that we have this small campus that students can come in and say loud and proud what they’re struggling with and then to have a staff that immediately steps in and gives them that support that they need, it’s a beautiful thing. “
Germain knows the high school students face barriers beyond school, but he hopes the partnership between Ferguson and the Thompson Career Campus will open their eyes to future possibilities and career paths.
“Our students oftentimes personalize struggles that happen either in or outside of school,” Germain said. “We do our best to remove that stigma and to really help them problem solve through those barriers, graduate high school and go on to live healthy and fulfilling lives.”
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