Enrollment
131
High
DISTRICT 365 · STATE 627
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MONTEZUMA-CORTEZ SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. RE-1·NCES 080309001692
Southwest Open Charter School
401 NORTH DOLORES ROAD, CORTEZ, CO 81321 · (970) 565-1150 · Montezuma County
GRADES 09–12HIGH33-TOWNCHARTERTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL131 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
10 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.7:1 · STATE 16.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
79%
104 students
DISTRICT 61% · STATE 50%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 27 | 21% |
| Grade 10 | 41 | 31% |
| Grade 11 | 29 | 22% |
| Grade 12 | 34 | 26% |
Student demographics
66%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONBeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
Where Southwest Open Charter School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 131 | #296 of 409 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 79.4% | #44 of 320 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
131
-1 (-1%) vs 2020
-12% since 2000-01, when it was 149
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
was 14.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 131 | 10.5 | 12.5:1 | 79% (104) |
| 2023-24 | 134 | 10.5 | 12.7:1 | 81% (109) |
| 2022-23 | 113 | 11.6 | 9.8:1 | 73% (82) |
| 2020-21 | 132 | 9 | 14.7:1 | 67% (88) |
| 2017-18 | 145 | 9.3 | 15.6:1 | 69% (100) |
| 2015-16 | 144 | 7 | 20.6:1 | 75% (108) |
| 2010-11 | 176 | 6 | 29.3:1 | 63% (111) |
| 2000-01 | 149 | 13 | 11.5:1 | 39% (58) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Southwest Open Charter School.
Since 2017-18: students down 10% (145 to 131); teachers up 12% (9.3 to 10.5).
About Southwest Open Charter School
Southwest Open Charter School is a small high school found in CORTEZ, Colorado. It enrolled 131 students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2024-25 school year. Statewide, high schools in Colorado average about 627 students each.
Southwest Open Charter School is part of Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1, where 10 schools serve 2,380 students.
White students are the largest group at Southwest Open Charter School, with 47% of enrollment. Next come 28% Native American, 20% Hispanic, and 5% multiracial. The county population is about 75% White. The chance that two students picked at random at Southwest Open Charter School belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 66%.
Federal staffing data show 10.5 full-time-equivalent teachers at Southwest Open Charter School and a ratio of 12.5:1. The average ratio among high schools in Colorado is 16.9:1, higher than at this school. The count of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch equals 79% of enrollment. The 59% average for public schools in Montezuma County is 20 points lower.
According to the American Community Survey, in Montezuma County, median household income is about $65,244, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 31%, and about 7% of people live in poverty. A total of 19 public schools operate in Montezuma County, serving about 3,620 students.
The next-closest public school is Montezuma-Cortez High School, about 0.7 miles away. In all, 6 other public schools sit within five miles of Southwest Open Charter School.
Federal records code the school's setting as Town: Remote. Charter status: Southwest Open Charter School is a public charter school.
Enrollment has been fairly stable: 132 in 2020-21 and 131 in 2024-25. The school's ratio fell from 14.7:1 to 12.5:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Topics for discussion here include school safety, transportation, and start times. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Montezuma County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
26,412
Census ACS
Median income
$65,244
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
19
3,620 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1
- Montezuma-Cortez High SchoolHigh · 598 students
- Montezuma-Cortez Middle SchoolMiddle · 505 students
- Mesa Elementary SchoolElementary · 359 students
- Kemper Elementary SchoolElementary · 339 students
- Children's Kiva Montessori SchoolElementary · 130 students
- Lewis-Arriola Elementary SchoolElementary · 125 students
Other schools in CORTEZ
- Montezuma-Cortez High SchoolHigh · 598 students
- Montezuma-Cortez Middle SchoolMiddle · 505 students
- Mesa Elementary SchoolElementary · 359 students
- Kemper Elementary SchoolElementary · 339 students
- Children's Kiva Montessori SchoolElementary · 130 students
- Lewis-Arriola Elementary SchoolElementary · 125 students
Nearby schools
- Montezuma-Cortez High School0.7 mi · 598
- Children's Kiva Montessori School1.0 mi · 130
- Kemper Elementary School1.2 mi · 339
- Beech Street Preschool1.6 mi · 70
- Montezuma-Cortez Middle School2.1 mi · 505
- Mesa Elementary School2.4 mi · 359
Frequently asked questions
About Southwest Open Charter SchoolHow many students attend Southwest Open Charter School?
Southwest Open Charter School enrolls approximately 131 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Southwest Open Charter School serve?
Southwest Open Charter School serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at Southwest Open Charter School?
Approximately 12.5:1 students per teacher at Southwest Open Charter School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Southwest Open Charter School?
At Southwest Open Charter School, the student body is approximately 47% White, 20% Hispanic, 5% Two or more.
Is Southwest Open Charter School public or private?
Southwest Open Charter School is a public K-12 school operated as a charter, overseen by Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.