Summary:
Zip code 81007 in Pueblo West, Colorado is served by two high schools in Pueblo County School District 70: Pueblo West High School, a large traditional high school serving 1,540 students in grades 9–12, and Swallows Charter Academy High School, a small charter high school with 178 students. While they serve the same geographic community, the two schools differ greatly in size, academic performance, and attendance patterns.
Swallows Charter Academy is the clear academic standout, ranking 114th out of 338 Colorado high schools (66th percentile, 3 stars) in 2025–2026, while Pueblo West ranks 177th (48th percentile, 2 stars). Swallows outperforms Pueblo West and the state on nearly every reading/writing assessment—for example, 83% of Swallows 11th graders scored proficient on the 2024–2025 SAT Reading/Writing test versus 59% at Pueblo West and 62% statewide. Math is a shared weakness at Pueblo West, where SAT Math proficiency sits at 26% versus 32% statewide, while Swallows posts PSAT math scores above state averages. Swallows also has dramatically lower chronic absenteeism (17.9% versus 36.4%) and a lower free/reduced lunch rate (32.0% versus 43.4%).
Pueblo West High School stands out for student completion: its 96.7% graduation rate far exceeds the state rate of 85.6% and the district rate of 94.1%, with a dropout rate of just 0.6%. Swallows' most recently reported graduation rate was 91.7%, also above the state average but based on older data. Interestingly, school size does not predict outcomes here: Swallows has a higher student-teacher ratio (26.9 versus 21.2) despite being far smaller. For families, the choice is between a large, stable, high-graduation comprehensive school at Pueblo West and a smaller, higher-scoring charter academy at Swallows with stronger day-to-day engagement and academic test results.
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