The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in English language arts. The lowest is 58% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ball Charter Schools (hearn) (4294)
Ball Charter Schools (Hearn) is a single-school charter district in Maricopa County serving kindergarten through eighth grade. Because it serves only elementary and middle school grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report, which is expected for a district with this grade band. The comparison is drawn among Maricopa County’s districts, where this district lands in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, a clear strength that stands out when placed alongside county peers.
State assessment results show a mixed but generally strong picture. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency falls near the middle of the range in third and fourth grade, then climbs to above the midpoint by fifth grade, dips in seventh, and settles near the middle again in eighth. English language arts proficiency is weakest in third grade, where it sits below the midpoint, but rises steadily in the upper elementary and middle school grades; by seventh grade, proficiency is notably strong, and it remains above the midpoint in eighth. Science results, available for fifth and eighth grade, place fifth graders a bit above the midpoint and eighth graders near it. A parent looking at these numbers would see a district where younger students tend to have more ground to cover, especially in reading, while the upper grades show consistently solid performance.
The student body is about evenly split between White students and Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Black, Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. The total enrollment is moderate for a K-8 district, and grade-level enrollments are fairly even, indicating a stable school population. Data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners were not available, so a family with a child who receives special education services or is learning English would want to ask the school directly about those supports.
Per-pupil current spending is in the lower range among Maricopa County districts. A parent may want to explore how this affects resources such as class size, extracurricular offerings, or instructional materials. The chronic absenteeism rate sits above the midpoint among county districts, meaning a notable share of students miss a substantial number of school days, which is a soft spot a family should look into further with the school.
The district consists of a single school, Hearn Academy The - A Ball Charter School. No recent parent-relevant changes, such as boundary adjustments, leadership turnover, or program expansions, were found in publicly reported sources. This is a static picture, with the main attractions being the charter structure and the above-average academic results in the middle school years. Families considering this school should note that it does not include high school, so a transition to another school after eighth grade is a given for any student who continues through the full program.
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