Poudre High School is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and is one of five high schools in the Poudre R-1 School District.

Following the district's re-organization in 1962, the Board of Education hired Dr. O.L. Troxel as a consultant to study population trends and facilities and make a recommendation to the Board of Education.

As a result of this study, he recommended to the Board the Construction of a new high school. Reasons stated in the proposal were the need to reduce the serious overcrowding at Fort Collins High School, and extend the educational opportunities
available to high school students in the district.

These recommendations were examined by both the Citizen's Committee for the Public Schools and the Board of Education. The Board proposed a bond issue to include funds for building the new high school which was passed on December 12, 1961.

Mr. Alfred Watts Grant of Denver was selected as the architect. One year after the bond passed educational specifications for the new school were planned and the general contract was awarded to the Weaver Construction Co. of Denver. Wray Plumbing and Heating Co. of Fort Collins was awarded the mechanical contract at that time.

The cornerstone of PHS was laid June 1, 1963 by the Grand Lodge Colorado, A.F. and A.M. The original building was 142,000 square feet, had 43 teaching stations and housed 1150 students from Fort Collins, Waverly, Wellington and LaPorte. Over the years the building increased in size to 170,000 square feet after several additions. 1965 saw the first class graduate from PHS.

In 1993, a bond was submitted again to the citizens of Fort Collins, with provisions for the remodeling of Rocky Mountain High School and Poudre High School, and the building of a new Fort Collins High. The citizens passed this bond and construction on Poudre began in 1994.

The new Poudre High School was completed in 1995 at a total cost of $14.1 million by Baldwin Construction. The Architects were Robb, Brenner & Brelig of Fort Collins. The finished building consists of 275,000 square feet with 6 new additions and 157,000 square feet of space (or 90%) remodeled. Student capacity is 1,800 with a current enrollment of 1,740 students.

Additions to the new building include: ten large science rooms, an electronic state of the art Media Center, 14,000 sq. ft. gymnasium seating 2,000, enlarged Student Commons area, 31 classrooms, 4 networked computer labs, a Mind Center, 6 Pathway resource rooms, Administration/Counseling offices, a 100 seat mini-auditorium Events Center, 500 more parking spaces, 7 acres of intramural athletic fields, expanded training room facilities and equipment, the latest computer technology resources throughout the building, enlarged journalism and darkroom facilities, an outdoor courtyard, expanded Music and Visual Arts departments, additional varsity locker rooms, an enhanced TV productions studio, an International Baccalaureate Center and a unique bronze "River Wall" sculpture. The Dedication Ceremony was February 8, 1996.