Kent Denver School: A Comprehensive Overview of Tuition and Educational Excellence
Kent Denver School, a private, co-educational, non-sectarian college preparatory high school and middle school in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, has a rich history and a strong commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience. This article provides a detailed overview of Kent Denver, focusing on its tuition, financial aid programs, academic environment, and unique offerings.
A Storied History and Location
Founded in 1922 as the Kent School for Girls in Denver by Mary Austin Bogue, Mary Louise Rathvon, and Mary Kent Wallace, Kent Denver has evolved significantly over the years. In 1953, Andrews D. Black and Tom Chaffee established Denver Country Day School, an all-men's high school. The two schools relocated to the spacious Blackmer Farm in Cherry Hills Village in the 1960s. The school is located at 4000 East Quincy Avenue in Cherry Hills Village. The expansive 200-acre (81 ha) campus, centered on two lakes and bordered by the Highline Canal, provides a unique and inspiring setting for learning.
Campus Highlights
The campus features several notable buildings and spaces designed to enhance student life and learning:
- Bogue Common Room: A central hub for high school students, this former courtyard was enclosed to create a meeting place with a cafe and flexible spaces for socializing and study.
- Duncan Center: Adjacent to the common room, the Duncan Center houses the Boettcher Foundation Library on the upper level and the Impact Studio on the ground floor.
- Gates Science Center/Magness Technology Center: This facility includes classrooms, science laboratories, and office space. It also houses a coral lab, a microscopy lab, and an astrometric (sundial) tower, which was completed with the help of KDS science students.
- Middle School Building: The Middle School building features three classroom wings, each containing a grade-level common room. The center of the building features the Centennial Center, a library and flexible learning hub and Kuntz Commons, a community meeting space for the entire middle school.
- Student Center for the Arts: Completed in 2006, this center houses the 500-seat Anschutz Family Theatre, Kennedy Garden Theatre, and The Vault, a black box theater. The nearby El Pomar Hall serves as a smaller, 125-seat performing arts venue.
- Dining Hall: In 2011, Kent Denver completed a new Dining Hall, the first LEED Platinum building of its kind.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For the 2023-24 school year, the tuition is $36,920. Kent Denver recognizes that a solid educational foundation is a high priority for parents/guardians, and that investing in the future of one’s child is an important decision. The school is committed to making its education accessible to students from diverse financial backgrounds. Kent Denver evaluates each family’s financial aid application and unique circumstances individually, and award amounts are based on the current financial situation and can change as needs evolve. Kent Denver financial aid awards provide tuition support and may also cover all aspects of student life, from books and computer fees to bus service, class trips, and many other incidental expenses. The average financial aid award is nearly $58,300. Kent Denver has provided more than $50 million to students in need since 2000.
To apply for financial aid, families can create an account with Clarity Financial and provide financial, household, and applicant information. They must also sign and submit form 4506c to give Clarity permission to pull prior year tax forms.
Read also: Kent State Athletics Logo
Kent School strives to make the annual cost of education more transparent. Tuition includes certain fees, such as health center, technology, and most textbooks.
Academic Excellence and Unique Programs
Kent Denver is known for its commitment to academic excellence and offers a range of programs designed to prepare students for college and beyond. The school's curriculum focuses on academics, diversity, teachers, college prep, and clubs/activities. Kent Denver has long supported community service and service learning-both bedrocks of emotional and academic growth.
Several Kent Denver programs have received national or international recognition. The Commercial Music Program has gained a considerable reputation both domestically and internationally, with the program's R&B and world music ensembles recognized by DownBeat Magazine and profiled in Denver's Westword newspaper. Student-musicians play gigs at venues across Colorado and have traveled to Memphis, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, San Diego, and New York. In the spring of 2014, members of the jazz and Latin bands traveled to Havana, Cuba, to learn more about the island's rich musical history.
Student Life and Activities
Student life at Kent Denver is vibrant and engaging. Every day is a new adventure. The school offers a wide array of clubs, activities, and athletic programs to cater to diverse interests.
Kent Denver is located at the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Quincy Avenue. The school emphasizes health and wellness.
Read also: Next Steps at Kent State
Rankings and Recognition
The new list from the ratings service Niche for the 2021-2022 academic year offers separate rosters for public and private high schools in the state, with its grades focusing on five main subject areas: academics, diversity, teachers, college prep and clubs/activities. The Niche rankings looked at 94,491 public schools, 2,489 private schools and 11,846 school districts nationwide in 2021, and even the top Colorado facilities didn’t make much of a splash compared to those in the country as a whole.
A Vision Rooted in Inclusion
When the Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill founded Kent School in 1906, he envisioned an elite school, not a school for elites. This intention expressed itself in ways big and small, from the school's motto to the jobs program. Fr. Sill was ahead of his time, instituting a tuition model that asked families to pay only what they were able to afford. It is in that spirit that Kent approaches financial aid today.
Read also: Kent State University Demographics Overview
tags: #kent #denver #tuition #cost
