Trinidad High School welcomes Class of 2030, highlights opportunities for students

Trinidad High School opened its welcome to the Class of 2030 by putting the district’s college-and-career pitch front and center. The April 21 message pointed eighth graders toward academic programs, hands-on career and technical education pathways, internships, college-credit opportunities, clubs and athletics, signaling that Trinidad School District #1 wants families to see THS as a launch point, not just a stop between middle school and graduation.

At 816 West Street in Trinidad, the school serves students in grades 9 through 12 on a seven-period day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its school profile says THS offers honor classes in English, science and mathematics, along with dual-credit opportunities through Trinidad State Junior College. The district’s own language describes THS as a “rigorous and relevant educational setting,” and the welcome message’s “THS - Where Everyone Belongs” theme shows how the school is trying to make the transition feel welcoming as well as demanding.

The message matters in a small rural district where options at home can determine whether students stay engaged. Trinidad High School enrolled 204 students in 2024-25, and 67.2% qualified for free and reduced lunch. Trinidad School District #1 reported 769 students that same year, with preliminary enrollment listed at 793 in its SchoolView profile. The district says its strategic plan centers on Instructional Excellence, Career Readiness, Teacher Support and Training, and Community Pride and Support, priorities that fit the push to keep more students connected to school and to the local economy.

That strategy has become more concrete over the past two years. In September 2024, the district hired Jackie Crabtree as Career-Connected Learning Coordinator and said she would work with Trinidad State College and Emergent Campus-Trinidad to build internship opportunities. On March 7, 2025, Alyce Sisneros and Kody Deaton represented the district at an Emergent Campus convening at Trinidad State College. Sisneros was identified as an intern, and Deaton as a THS and Trinidad State College concurrent enrollment student, a sign that the district’s college-and-career messaging already has students inside those pathways.

The money behind the effort is also significant. In March 2024, Trinidad State College and Trinidad School District received a $3.5 million Opportunity Now grant tied to Emergent Campus. A later Colorado Community College System announcement said Trinidad State College, Pueblo Community College and Emergent Campus received another $5.75 million to strengthen advanced manufacturing career pathways. The district’s 2022 Pathways Program presentation, delivered by Principal Paul Nameth, fits that same arc: course offerings are being reshaped so Trinidad High School can lead students toward college, technical training, internships and work that connects back to Las Animas County and beyond.