The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 43% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Basis Charter Schools Inc. (92349)
BASIS Charter Schools Inc. operates as a district in Maricopa County, but in practice it is a single elementary school: BASIS Phoenix Central Primary, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. The district’s enrollment data shows no students in grades six through twelve, so families looking at this entity are considering a primary school only. The school is part of the larger BASIS network, known for a rigorous academic model, but the data available here covers only the primary campus.
Academically, this school performs above the midpoint among Maricopa County’s districts when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The available state assessments for third through fifth grade show that a majority of students meet proficiency in English language arts, with particularly strong results in fourth grade. Math proficiency is lower across all three tested grades, but still reaches a level that places the school above the district median in the county. Fifth-grade science proficiency is also solid, with about half of students scoring proficient or above. The single year of data does not allow for a trend analysis, so whether these results are improving or declining is not clear from the information at hand.
Chronic absenteeism is reported at a rate that is better than the typical district in the county. That is a positive signal for consistent classroom engagement, especially at the elementary level where attendance patterns often carry long-term consequences. The school also spends near the middle of the pack on a per-pupil basis, suggesting a funding level that is neither unusually high nor low for the area.
Because this is a K-5 school, there is no graduation rate to report. The state testing data covers only the tested grades, and the district does not appear to have reported economic disadvantage or special education counts, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and about services for students with disabilities or English learners.
The student body is diverse. The largest ethnic group is Hispanic, followed by White, Black, Asian, and students identifying as two or more races. Native American and Pacific Islander students make up very small shares. Without economic data, it is hard to assess the mix of family backgrounds, though the school’s location in central Phoenix likely draws from a wide radius, as is common with charter schools that do not have a defined attendance boundary.
This district’s one-school structure means that any parent considering BASIS Charter Schools Inc. is essentially evaluating a single elementary campus. The academic results are above average for Maricopa County, particularly in reading, and chronic absenteeism is lower than the county median. The absence of middle and high school grades means that families will need to plan for the next transition after fifth grade. Whether the school’s model and environment fit a given family would depend on preferences for a rigorous early curriculum and the willingness to engage with the school directly for details not captured in the available data, such as class size, extracurricular offerings, and the specific student support framework.
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