Center for Academic Success #5 - Sierra Vista K-8, Sierra Vista AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Center for Academic Success #5 - Sierra Vista K-8

Center for Academic Success #5 – Sierra Vista K-8 is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in a suburban setting within Sierra Vista, Arizona. It is part of the Center for Academic Success Inc. network, a multi-site charter organization. The school occupies a single campus and operates as a regular public charter school with no special designation such as magnet or Title I status indicated in the records.

On state assessments administered in the 2024–25 school year, the school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades placed it above the midpoint among the school districts in Cochise County. That comparison includes a mix of small districts and individual charter schools, so the result suggests the school performs competitively within the local landscape. When looking at individual grade-level results, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts fluctuated from grade to grade, with some grades showing a higher share of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark and others showing a lower share. Science results for fifth grade, the only elementary grade tested in that subject, showed roughly the same pattern. For seventh and eighth graders, the state suppressed proficiency data due to small testing group sizes, a common practice to protect student privacy, so no subject-level breakdown is available for those grades. The school’s multi-year academic trend data, covering only the most recent year, is too brief to establish a clear direction.

The student body is relatively modest in size for a K–8 school. Racially and ethnically, the largest group is white students, followed by a substantial Hispanic population, and smaller numbers of students who are Black, two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Information on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals was not reported, and data on students with disabilities and English learners was also not available in the records. This gap means a parent may want to ask the school directly about the extent of support services offered.

The school is located in Sierra Vista, a city shaped by its relationship with Fort Huachuca, a U.S. Army post that serves as the area’s dominant employer and economic engine. Government jobs account for nearly half of local employment, and the professional, scientific, and technical services sector is unusually large because of Army contracts. The community includes military personnel, families, students, and retirees. Housing in the zip code covering the school is moderately priced relative to the state’s overall market, and rents have been rising at a modest pace. The city itself has a low population density and a suburban character, with strip commercial corridors and a public transit system. Educational institutions such as the University of Arizona College of Applied Science and Technology and Cochise College are present in the city, though they are not directly affiliated with this charter school.

Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. No information was available on discipline, staffing ratios, attendance, or specific program offerings such as arts, music, or advanced coursework. A search for recent district-level changes at Center for Academic Success Inc. turned up little of lasting impact for parents to watch for.

For a family considering this school, the key takeaway is that it offers a K–8 charter option in a military-anchored community, with overall test performance that sits above the midpoint compared with other districts in Cochise County but with variability across individual grades and subjects. Families who want a fuller picture of student support services, enrichment offerings, and school climate will need to follow up directly with the school, as several standard data categories are not publicly available.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 42% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 39% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 64% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 31% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 34% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 43% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 47% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 38% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 743%

School 43% · District 40% · ▲ 3 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Science

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 34% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

This schoolCenter for Academic Success Inc. (4191), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.