The district began operations in 1962 as a consolidation of the Charter Oak and Ute school districts.[4] Beginning that year, Charter Oak–Ute had its own high school,[5]
In 1979, the entire school district had 850 students.[4] The high school division had 113 students in the 1991-1992 school year.[6] On July 1, 2004, the East Monona Community School District was dissolved, with a portion going to Charter Oak–Ute.[7] 28% of the former East Monona district, including the City of Soldier, was reassigned to Charter Oak–Ute.[8]
The district, now including the portion of the East Monona territory, from 2005 to 2015, had an enrollment decline of 78 students.[4] In 2006, the high school division had 102 students.[6] In 2017, the district had a total of 264 students,[4] with 78 students in the high school division,[6] including 25 students in grade 12. Due to the decline in enrollments, in January 2017, the Charter Oak–Ute district and the MVAO district entered into a grade-sharing arrangement in which one district sends its students to another district for certain grade levels. As a result, the Charter Oak–Ute high school closed.[5] MVAO High School was renamed MVAO-COU High School. Charter Oak–Ute will pay MVAO tuition costs.[4]
^Home. Charter Oak–Ute Community School District. Retrieved on July 16, 2018. "Charter Oak- Ute Communiy [sic] School 321 Main Street Charter Oak, Iowa 51439".