Original Research by School Decision on Open Doors
Open Doors is an alternative high school in Mount Vernon, part of the Burlington-Edison School District, serving grades ten through twelve. It is a small program, with an enrollment that is small even for an alternative setting. The student body is composed almost entirely of twelfth graders, with a single tenth grader and no eleventh graders reported. This enrollment pattern is typical of a credit-recovery or re-engagement program designed to help older students finish high school.
The school community is predominantly Hispanic, and about half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need. Because Open Doors is an alternative school, the standard academic accountability metrics that families often look for are absent. There are no state assessment results available, no graduation rate, and no chronic absenteeism data reported. This is common for alternative programs focused on students who have struggled in a traditional setting, where the goal is completion rather than standardized test performance. A parent considering this school should understand that the typical yardsticks for school performance do not apply here and that the school’s value is measured by whether it successfully re-engages students and gets them to a diploma.
Mount Vernon is the county seat of Skagit County and the area’s largest city. It sits in the Skagit River Valley and draws visitors annually for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The downtown has a historic core with a theater and a street fair during the festival. A new multi-use community center, the Mount Vernon Library Commons, opened recently. The city is working on waterfront redevelopment plans along the Skagit River, including a proposed promenade and mixed-use development. Housing values in the area are somewhat lower than the state average, though still substantial, and rents have been rising. The area has a mix of residential, commercial, and agricultural land uses.
The Burlington-Edison School District did not have any recent parent-relevant changes, such as bond measures or curriculum shifts, confirmed in the search. The budget or enrollment context of the district itself is not captured in the data provided.
For a family weighing this school, the central fact is its purpose. Open Doors is not a comprehensive high school offering a broad range of AP courses, extracurriculars, or a typical four-year plan. It is a targeted alternative for students who have not succeeded in a conventional school setting and need a different path to graduation. The school’s small size means individualized attention is likely, and its older-student focus suggests a setting geared toward adults in progress rather than younger adolescents. A parent whose student is on track in a traditional school would not find what they are looking for here. A parent whose child has fallen behind or disengaged from a larger school environment may find Open Doors to be a suitable fit, but should contact the school directly to understand the specific program structure, support services, and expectations before enrolling.
See more original research from School Decision →