History of Ponderosa High School
1980 December 1980 - This quiet field comes alive with construction and the spirit of the Mustangs emerges.
1983 Ponderosa High School opened its doors as the home of the Mustangs in January of 1983.
1984 Ponderosa’s first cardinal and gold graduating class was in 1984.
1992 From the beginning to the spring of 1992, Ponderosa had grades 10, 11, and 12 with 1000 to 1100 students each year. Douglas County was growing about 10 percent a year and was known as the fastest growing county, percentage wise, in the United States. In the spring of 1992, the first addition of 23 classrooms was added to Ponderosa. The capacity was now 1500 students, which now included a 9th grade class.
1994 In the summer of 1994, 13 more classrooms and the expansion of the commons was completed, and the building capacity was now 1900 students. From 1994 to 1996, Ponderosa grew to approximately 2100 students.
1997 In 1997, Chaparral was built and became the second high school in Parker, and Ponderosa’s enrollment decreased to around 1800 students. From 1997 to 2007, Ponderosa once again grew to over 2000 students.
2008 Once again, PHS enrollment was impacted upon the opening of Legend High School in 2008. Enrollment decreased and still stands at approximately 1375 students.