Timeline & Policies

Southwest High School- Class of 2026 and 2027- click HERE

Southwest High School- Class of 2028 and beyond- click HERE

Please review the SWHS Schedule Policies for the 25-26 school year.  Scroll down this page for specific categories.

Academic success is important. Courses and their placement in the curriculum are important to learning.  Southwest strives to empower each student to be their best.  Careful thought and preparation is reflected in class design and program scope and sequence.  Courses are placed in sequence to optimize learning. 

Thus, courses must be taken and successfully passed  in sequence.  Example: the student must successfully  complete Spanish 1 before enrolling in Spanish 2.  Students failing to earn the necessary credits in required courses must build a plan with their counselor to recover  these credits.  A student needs to plan a logical 4-year  program.  At the same time, a student needs to study and complete the necessary requirements to pass that level of class.  Course mastery is designed to ensure successful student learning and development. 

Some courses are listed with prerequisites.  Prerequisites are intended to indicate to students what skills, learned in prior courses are necessary before enrolling in the subsequent course. Conversations with teachers, school counselors, and families are important to determine  whether the student is prepared to be successful in the subsequent course. 

My Life Plan (MLP) is a post-secondary (after high  school) planning graduation requirements.  MLP requires students to explore themselves, college, and careers.  Each grade level has required activities that students typically complete through classrooms.  Activities include  personality and interest assessments, résumé writing, career and college research, and self-reflection surveys.  If you have any questions, please contact your school counselor.  For more information, please review the MPS My Life Plan website.

Changing Classes:

1. • At the beginning of the year, there will be a short window to make changes to your schedule. Schedule change requests are not guaranteed. Below, you will see a list of acceptable reasons for needing a schedule change:

     • Schedule gap

     • Elective choice (only if the elective given was not an alternate)

     • Music placement

     • Level change

     • PSEO/CTE

     • Release period (signed contract needed)

     • Duplicate class/subject

Class Cancellations:

2. • Occasionally, a class may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment or staffing issues. In such cases, students will be notified promptly and provided with alternative course options.

If you are an on track senior, you are eligible for a release period.  A release period contract needs to be completed in order to have this approved.  If you do not follow the contract, your release period may be revoked 

12th graders are allowed to register for one release period, either 1st or 6th period. Students must be on track to graduate in order to have this privilege. 9-11th graders are not allowed to have a release period; they are expected to choose 6 classes.

There are several reasons for becoming an online student, as are there are several ways to do so. Students who are interested in online coursework should first review MPS Online’s website prior to meeting with their school counselor to discuss the options.  Additionally, many courses offered by the MPS Career and Technical Education (CTE) department have an online version.  Please review MPS CTE website as well.

If you have failed a class required for graduation, you need to see your counselor to plan for credit recovery. In general, you have four options for making up a failed class, all of which require you to register ahead of time with your counselor:

• Winter Break Academy

• Spring Break Academy

• Summer School

• After School Credit Recovery

Southwest High School uses an equal interval 8 point scale that converts to a letter grade (A-F) for reporting.  Click HERE to learn more.

To determine who is recognized for these achievements, students will be ranked according to  their cumulative GPA as calculated at the conclusion of quarter 3 of their senior year. 

The valedictorian will be the highest-ranking student(s), and the salutatorian will be the second highest ranking student(s). 

Eligible students must have completed six of their eight semesters at Southwest.

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th, 11th and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis.   For more information, check out the PSEO page on the SWHS Counseling Department website.

Current SWHS Students

Transcript Requests for College Applications

All current seniors must meet with their School Counselor at their individual Senior Meeting to request for their transcript to be sent for postsecondary/college application purposes. Seniors may contact Ms. Lora to schedule their Senior Meeting with their Counselor. Senior Meetings must be scheduled no later than one month prior to the student's earliest/first college application deadline. At the Senior Meeting, students will discuss with their Counselor the colleges they plan to submit an application to. Students receive 3 free transcript submissions. Additional transcript submissions are $2 per college. Students who qualify for Educational Benefits (i.e. the Free or Reduced Lunch program) are not charged for transcript submissions. 

Transcript Requests for Scholarship Applications, Car Insurance, Employment Purposes, or for Other Reasons

Please contact your assigned Southwest Counselor and allow for a 5 school day processing time.

Graduates of SWHS 

• click here to request a copy of your transcript.

• In order to practice, compete, or receive athletically-related financial aid as a freshman at a NCAA Division I or Division II college, the student-athlete must satisfy the requirements of the NCAA. 

• See the NCAA Eligibility Center website at http://eligibilitycenter.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.html in order to determine the approved classes at Southwest and to register as a student athlete.

• The NCAA will not accept the Pass/No Credit option for core academic courses. Please refer to the NCAA web site for additional information. Students must register online at www.NCAA.org in order to participate in collegiate athletics.