The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on The Paideia Academies Inc (91250)
The Paideia Academies Inc is a small district in Maricopa County serving kindergarten through twelfth grade. It operates two schools: The Paideia Academy of South Phoenix and Paideia Liberal Arts Academy. The district’s enrollment is small for a K-12 system, and the student body is heavily concentrated in the elementary and middle grades, with a much smaller high school population. The district has no twelfth graders enrolled in the reported data, and the high school grades that do exist have very low counts, which means the upper-grade program is small and a parent considering high school options here would want to understand how the district structures its secondary offerings.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with Black students as the next largest group, and White students making up a much smaller share. The district did not report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor did it report the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent cannot assess the level of economic or linguistic need from the available data.
State assessment results are available for grades three through eight in math and English language arts, and for grades five and eight in science. Across every tested grade and subject, proficiency rates are low. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranges from a very small share in the middle grades to a slightly larger but still low share in third grade. English language arts results are somewhat higher but still low, with the highest proficiency rate occurring in seventh grade. Science results are also low. The district’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among Maricopa County’s districts. A parent considering this district should be aware that academic performance on state assessments is well below the county median.
The district’s chronic absenteeism rate is above the midpoint among county districts, meaning a substantial share of students are missing enough school to affect learning. A parent may want to ask the district what steps it is taking to address attendance.
The district serves kindergarten through twelfth grade, but the enrollment data shows a steep drop after eighth grade. Ninth and tenth grades have small enrollments, eleventh grade has a very small number, and there are no twelfth graders reported. This pattern suggests that most students leave the district before completing high school. A parent considering this district for the full K-12 pathway would want to understand what high school options exist and why the upper grades are so thinly enrolled.
The district operates two schools: The Paideia Academy of South Phoenix and Paideia Liberal Arts Academy. No program offerings, course access data, or staffing information was available, so a parent cannot evaluate what academic pathways, electives, or support services are available from the data provided.
Per-pupil spending falls in the middle range but the lower half among Maricopa County’s districts, meaning the district spends somewhat less per student than the typical county district. No information about recent district changes, strategic priorities, or facility conditions was found in publicly reported sources, so a parent would need to contact the district directly for that picture.
This is a small, predominantly Hispanic district in Maricopa County with low academic proficiency rates on state assessments, a high chronic absenteeism rate, and a steep enrollment drop after eighth grade. A parent considering this district would want to investigate the high school pathway closely, understand why so few students remain for the upper grades, and ask about attendance supports and academic interventions.
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