The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in Math. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Empower College Prep (91277)
Empower College Prep is a charter school district in Maricopa County, Arizona, serving kindergarten through twelfth grade across two campuses: Empower College Prep and Empower College Prep High School. Because it operates as a single charter network rather than a traditional district, families considering this option are choosing a unified K-12 pathway under one administration.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial African American population and small shares of white, Asian, and other backgrounds. Roughly four out of every five students are Hispanic, and more than one in ten are Black. The total enrollment is moderate for a district that spans all grade levels, though it is small compared to many traditional districts in the county.
Academically, state assessment results are available for grades three through eight across math, English language arts, and science. Proficiency rates are low in every tested grade and subject. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranges from around one in ten in seventh grade to about three in ten in third grade. In ELA, results vary from about one in ten in sixth grade to roughly one in three in fourth grade. Science proficiency is around one in seven for both fifth and eighth grades. Overall, the district’s combined proficiency index places it in the bottom quarter of Maricopa County’s districts. A single year of testing data was available, so no trend can be evaluated.
A notable concern is chronic absenteeism. The reported rate is very high and also sits in the bottom quarter among county districts, meaning a large share of students miss a significant number of school days. This is a pattern that families may want to explore further with the school to understand what supports are in place.
On the spending side, per-pupil current expenditure falls in the upper range compared to other Maricopa County districts. That higher spending could reflect the charter's operational structure or special program costs, though no detailed budget breakdown was provided.
No graduation rate data was available for this report. Since the district includes a high school, this is a gap families should ask about directly. Information on special education, English learner status, and free or reduced-price meal eligibility was also missing. A community locale brief was not provided, so there is no description of the neighborhoods or housing context that surrounds these campuses.
The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes of lasting impact. The two schools appear to be operating normally as of the most recent data. For parents interested in a small, unified charter network that serves all grades, Empower College Prep offers a consistent K-12 setting, but the academic results and attendance patterns are areas that warrant close attention and direct conversation with school leadership.
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