Cortez Hill Academy, a fully accredited San Diego college preparatory, liberal arts charter high school, has moved to Civic Center Plaza, 201 A St., Downtown. Now in its fifth year, the school serves more than 100 students from all over the county with a student-teacher ratio of 20-to-1.

The new location provides better access to the resources students need, says Linda Reed, executive director. Students are required to perform community service and complete internships, and juniors and seniors are encouraged to enroll at City College to receive college credit while still in high school.

The new setting triples the school’s size to nearly 22,000 square feet, and Reed predicts a tripling of students within the next three years. The three-story school’s centerpiece is a student art gallery with exhibit space facing A Street and featuring student work.