Leman Academy of Excellence - Central Tucson, Tucson AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Leman Academy of Excellence - Central Tucson

Leman Academy of Excellence - Central Tucson is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in central Tucson. It is part of the Leman Academy of Excellence Inc. charter network, which operates several campuses in Arizona. The school occupies a building on East Pima Street, set in a residential and commercial corridor of the city that blends older neighborhoods with mid-century development.

Tucson itself is a large desert city, the second-largest in Arizona, anchored by the University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The economy leans on the university, defense, optics industries, and tourism. The city spans a wide geographic area, and while the downtown and university district offer walkable pockets served by a streetcar line, the broader landscape is automobile-dependent. The school sits in a part of town that is well within the urbanized core but not in the densest pedestrian zone.

The student body is diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by white students, with smaller groups of students who are two or more races, Black, Asian, and other backgrounds. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not reported, nor were counts of students with disabilities or English learners. This is a notable gap for families weighing the school's support systems; a parent may want to ask the school directly about these resources and services.

Academically, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint relative to districts in Pima County. That is a positive indicator for a school serving a broad range of elementary and middle grades. But looking more closely, the pattern varies by subject and grade level. In English language arts, proficiency starts solidly in third and fourth grade, with a majority of students meeting expectations. From fifth grade onward, those rates slip noticeably, falling below half of students by middle school. In mathematics, the decline is steeper: early grades show about half of students proficient, but by sixth grade the share drops below a third, and by eighth grade it falls further. Science results in fifth grade show a quarter of students proficient; eighth-grade science data was suppressed for privacy. The overall picture is of an elementary program with some bright spots that weakens as students move into the upper grades. Parents considering this school for the long haul may want to explore how the school supports middle-grade math and literacy instruction.

Housing in the area around the school is relatively affordable compared to state and national medians. Home values have seen a modest decline over the past year, while rents have held roughly steady. The 30-year mortgage rate at the time of this data was above six percent, a factor for any family considering a home purchase. The broader Tucson housing market has experienced suburban expansion to the northwest and south, but central Tucson remains a more established area with a range of older homes and rental properties.

The district itself reported no recent major changes or strategic developments publicly. As a charter school, Leman Academy operates with some autonomy from the local traditional school district, and families choose it by application. The school's website and admissions process would be the best source for details on curriculum, enrichment, and any specific academic philosophy.

A few key data points were not available: information on chronic absenteeism, disciplinary incidents, staffing ratios, and course access. These are areas a prospective parent may want to investigate through a school visit or conversation with current families. Overall, Leman Academy of Excellence - Central Tucson presents as a charter option with above-average proficiency for its county, but with noticeable grade-level declines that warrant a closer look, especially for families planning to stay through eighth grade.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 46% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 48% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 46% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 39% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 725%

School 25% · District 43% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 38% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 469%

School 69% · District 62% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 53% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 58% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 57% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 57% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 33% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

This schoolLeman Academy of Excellence Inc. (92730), 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.