Original Research by School Decision on New School for the Arts
New School for the Arts is a small charter high school in Tempe serving grades nine through twelve. Its name signals an arts focus, though the data available does not include specific program offerings, so a family interested in the arts curriculum would want to follow up directly with the school. The school operates as a single-school charter district, and no recent district-level changes were publicly reported.
The student body is small, with a majority white enrollment and a substantial share of Hispanic students, together with smaller groups of Black, Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available. For a family trying to understand the school’s support structure, this is a gap worth investigating.
On state assessments, the school reported results for the most recent school year. English language arts proficiency was higher than math proficiency. Only a single year of data was available, so there is no trend to indicate whether performance is improving or declining. The graduation rate for this high school was not reported in the data, which is a notable absence. A parent considering this school should ask about the graduation rate and how the school tracks student progress toward completion.
The school is located on Apache Boulevard in Tempe, a city shaped heavily by Arizona State University’s main campus. The northern part of Tempe, near the light rail line and Tempe Town Lake, has a dense urban feel with high-rise buildings and the pedestrian-oriented Mill Avenue district. The southern part of the city is more suburban, with single-family homes and strip malls. The school’s address places it close to the ASU campus, so students may have access to university resources or a college-town environment, but the data does not confirm any formal partnership.
Housing costs in the area are near the middle of the state’s range, with a slight decline in home values and rents over the past year. The local economy is anchored by Arizona State University, major employers such as State Farm and JPMorgan Chase, and corporate headquarters for companies like GoDaddy and First Solar. The unemployment rate is low nationally, and the region has a history of steady growth.
The school’s publicly available data is thin. Beyond the test scores and demographics, there is no information on discipline, attendance, staffing ratios, course access, or how the school supports students with different needs. For a family making a choice, the school’s small size and arts identity are clear draws, but the lack of a graduation rate and other key metrics means that a visit and a conversation with school leadership are essential to understand the full picture.
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