Established in 1972, Heritage is the newest of the three high schools within Littleton Public Schools. The other two include Littleton High School (opened in its present location in 1956) and Arapahoe High School (established in 1965). The school's mascot is the Eagle, and the school's colors are Scarlet and Silver (with Navy serving as the third school color).

Awards and Recognitions

During the 1990-91 school year, Heritage became the first high school in the district to be recognized as a United States Department of Education National Recognition School, earning itself its Blue Ribbon of Excellence designation.

Our recent accomplishments include:

• Being ranked as one of the top high schools in America by Newsweek Magazine.
• Being acknowledged by 5280 magazine as one of the top schools in the Denver area.
• Having 10 students recognized in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship program with two students achieving Semi-Finalist status
• Being the only school in the Denver Metro area with two students receiving the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship in 2008
• Having graduating seniors accept nearly $3 million in scholarships and 19 students accept NCAA athletic scholarships
• Raising over $50,000 in three years for amputee and refugee camps in Sierra Leone and for materials to build our sister school in Kabala (in conjunction with Operation Classroom).
• Earning a composite score of 22.7 on the American College Tests (ACT), the best in school history.

Mission Statement

As a community of learners, founded on the principles of integrity and respect, we are committed to rigorous and relevant learning for all students. We cultivate meaningful collaborative relationships. We develop global citizens who are creative, critical thinkers and life-long learners prepared for the challenges of leading in the 21st Century.

Location

Heritage High School is located 12 miles south of downtown Denver in Littleton, Colorado. It is two (2) miles north of highway C-470 between South Broadway and Sante Fe Avenue. For those visitors outside the continental United States, the school is located at a latitude of N. 39 degrees 35' 13.685" and a longitude of W. 105 degrees 0.0625".

The Building

• The school contains 230,500 square feet divided between three levels.
• The theatre seats 732 people and the main gymnasium seats about 1,600.
• The library (also known as the Integrated Learning Center- ILC) is located on the first floor near the business and art departments. It includes two computer labs as well as 12 computer workstations for student use.
• Every floor has an interdiscipinary faculty office adjacent to the department classrooms and resource centers.
• The school has two lecture halls located on the second and third floors. These lecture halls accommodate approximately 100 people for large meetings or presentations.
• The student store, located in the Student Center, is maintained and run by students involved in the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA).
• In addition to the computer lab in the technology area, the school also houses two more computer labs within the business department .
• In addition to the main gymnasium, the school also houses two auxillary gyms, an impressive weight room, a climbing wall, a fitness center and an indoor pool. Outside the school are four tennis courts, a football field, an all-weather track, a soccer field, and a baseball field.
• The school's practice fields total approximately 500,000 square feet.
• Remodeling during the summers of 2005 and 2006, we updated departmental offices, improved the school's HVAC system, added water sprinklers, moved the library to the first floor, remodeled the entire business department, added new varsity lockers rooms above the existing west locker room, added an auxillary gym, updated existing locker rooms, remodeled the administrative and counseling offices, updated all restrooms, and replaced lockers throughout the building. Cost of the remodel was approximately $14.5 million.

The School Crest

An explanation of the various parts of the crest is as follows:

The diving eagle, grasping a banner which bears the school motto, "Primus Inter Pares," which means "The First Among Equals," is at the top of the crest. The eagle is the school mascot.
The dates 1872 and 1972 are important since 1872 is the date the first schoolhouse opened in Littleton, and 1972 is the founding date of Heritage.
The mountain scene symbolizes the valley and its surroundings.
The wagon wheel is symbolic of the early pioneers.
The lamp symbolizes education.
The wheat symbolizes agriculture, a huge part of Littleton's beginnings.
The frontiersman and the astronaut symbolize early and modern times.