The reported proficiency rate for Math is 24%.
Original Research by School Decision on Imagine Cortez Park Elementary
Imagine Cortez Park Elementary is a regular public charter school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It operates under the Pathfinder Charter School Foundation, a single-school charter district. Located on West Dunlap Avenue in a largely residential stretch of north-central Phoenix, the school occupies a standard elementary campus within a sprawling urban environment. Phoenix itself is a fast-growing, car-oriented city built on a wide grid, with a high-technology and manufacturing economy anchored by Sky Harbor International Airport. The school’s immediate area reflects a mix of older single-family homes and apartment complexes, with home values moderately below the statewide benchmark and rents trending slightly downward.
The school enrolls a relatively large elementary population for a charter school, with student numbers spread across kindergarten through fifth grade in roughly even class sizes. The student body is diverse: a majority of students identify as Hispanic, with a substantial cohort of Asian students and smaller shares of Black, white, and multiracial students. Data on economic disadvantage, special education services, and English learner status were not available in the provided records, so a family considering the school would want to ask the school directly about the availability of free or reduced-price meals, individualized supports, and language services.
Academically, the picture is mixed and limited by the available data. State assessment results for the most recent school year show only one grade-level score reported for all students: math in third grade, where roughly a quarter of students met proficiency. For all other tested grades in math, as well as all grades in English language arts and fifth-grade science, the results were suppressed, meaning too few students were tested or the data were masked for privacy. The reported figures, combined with the multi-year trend showing very low proficiency rates in both math and English language arts, place the school’s overall academic performance well into the bottom quarter among elementary-serving schools relative to districts in Maricopa County. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to examine. A parent will want to seek further clarity from the school on how those suppressed results break down and what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks.
The school’s charter status means it operates independently from a traditional school district, though it is authorized and overseen by Pathfinder Charter School Foundation. There were no recent district-level changes publicly reported that would affect day-to-day operations. The school’s website was not provided in the data, so families should locate the site directly to learn about specific programs, enrichment offerings, and before- or after-school care. Given the high-density urban setting, transportation arrangements may differ from those of a traditional district; families should confirm busing and walkability, given Phoenix’s wide roadways and car-oriented layout.
Overall, Imagine Cortez Park Elementary is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade charter school serving a diverse student population in a large, growing city. Its academic results, as far as they are reportable, fall significantly below the midpoint for its county, which a family should weigh against any particular program strengths or community fit that a direct visit might reveal. The school’s size offers a typical elementary environment, but the limited public academic data makes it difficult to fully assess student progress without a conversation with school leadership. Families considering this option are advised to request a detailed tour and ask specifically about achievement trends for each grade and subject, as well as the school’s approach to supporting students who are not yet proficient.
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