Original Research by School Decision on Liberty High School
Liberty High School is a small alternative charter school in Globe, Arizona, serving seventh through twelfth grade. It is the only school in its own district, which is effectively a single-campus charter district. The school’s enrollment is modest for a secondary school, with grades ten through twelve making up the largest share of students. The student body is mixed: roughly two-fifths Hispanic, about one-third White, and a quarter American Indian or Alaska Native. There are no Asian, Black, or multiracial students enrolled.
The most notable feature of Liberty High School is what is not available. State test results in math, reading, and science are suppressed for every grade. The state does not release proficiency rates for groups too small to report without risking student identification, which is common in a school of this size. This means there is no public record of how students perform on the Arizona Academic Standards Assessments, and families cannot compare academic achievement here to other schools in the area. A comparison to other districts in Gila County was attempted, but the proficiency index and graduation rate could not be placed because the school’s own data are missing.
The school’s graduation rate is also absent from the data used for this profile. However, the district’s own reported trend, from publicly available sources, shows that the graduation rate has declined over the past five school years, from a moderate level to a lower one. A parent considering the school may want to ask the school directly for its most recent four-year cohort results and for an explanation of the trend.
Liberty High School is classified as an alternative school, which often means it serves students who have struggled in a traditional comprehensive high school setting. The charter status gives it independence from the local school district in curriculum and operations, though the specific academic model, program offerings, or supports for special populations are not reported here. No data on staffing ratios, course access, or discipline are available.
The school is located in Globe, a small historic mining town that serves as the Gila County seat. The local economy is anchored by copper mining, county government, tourism, and retirement. The town’s population has declined slowly in recent years, and the housing market is more affordable than the state average. The downtown core along Broad Street is walkable and has a historic character, but the rest of the area is car-dependent. There is no public transit system. Major employers include the copper smelter, the county government, the regional medical center, and a nearby casino resort. The town is still recovering from significant flooding in 2025, with infrastructure projects underway.
For a family evaluating this school, the questions start with what the school offers that a traditional high school might not. The alternative designation and small size suggest a more individualized setting, but without program details it is hard to know what that means in practice. The missing test data and the district’s declining graduation trend are soft spots that warrant direct inquiries. Students who need a non-traditional path to a diploma, and families who are comfortable with a very small school where academic benchmarks are not publicly visible, may find this fits. Others may want more transparency before making a decision.
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