Phoenix Academy, Apple Valley CA

Original Research by School Decision on Phoenix Academy

Phoenix Academy serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Apple Valley, a town in San Bernardino County that has long held a rural and equestrian identity but is now in the midst of substantial industrial growth. The school sits at the intersection of that changing landscape: it serves a student population that reflects both the town's longstanding residential base and the economic pressures driving its evolution.

The school has about a thousand students across its kindergarten-through-eighth-grade span. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is diverse by race and ethnicity, with a majority of Hispanic students and a significant share of Black students; smaller populations of white students, Asian students, and others make up the rest. The school does not report counts or rates for English learner or special education populations, so parents may want to look into those details directly with the school.

Academic proficiency is low across tested subjects and grades. In mathematics, students in grades three through eight show proficiency rates in the single digits to low teens; only the youngest tested cohort reaches the mid-teen range. English language arts is somewhat stronger, with rates mostly in the high teens, though still well below state and county benchmarks. Science proficiency data appear only for grades five and eight and show low attainment as well. When compared against other districts in San Bernardino County, Phoenix Academy sits in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. These are results a parent should take seriously and discuss with the school about what support structures exist for students and what the school's improvement trajectory looks like.

The school has been open and operational as a regular public school within Apple Valley Unified School District, which is implementing a new student information system and parent mobile app in the 2026-27 school year, changing how enrollment and record access will work. The district has also indicated that some schools, including Apple Valley High School, are at or near capacity and closed to intradistrict transfer requests; families hoping to move between schools within the district may face restrictions.

Apple Valley itself is experiencing rapid change. The town was incorporated as a "Town" rather than a city partly to preserve its rural and equestrian character, but that identity is now splitting as major distribution centers, a Walmart facility, and other logistics operations open along Dale Evans Parkway. A Brightline West high-speed rail station is under construction and targeted to open in 2028, which is projected to bring further growth and change to the area. Housing values in the zip code are moderate relative to state benchmarks, and rental housing is somewhat more affordable than purchasing, though both have risen recently. The town's historic downtown, known as the Village, is the focus of a revitalization plan, though most residents get around by car.

For families considering Phoenix Academy, the low test results and the school's standing in the county comparison are the central facts to weigh. The school is part of a district in transition, both technologically and operationally. Parents should ask the school directly about its academic support programs, instructional approach, and goals for improvement, and about whether there are specific school-level or classroom-level factors that shaped this year's results. The surrounding community is affordable and in flux, with both the appeal of small-town character and the disruption of rapid industrial and infrastructure growth.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 28% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 45%

School 5% · District 20% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 13% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 16% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 77%

School 7% · District 15% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 16% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 26% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 27% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 26% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 619%

School 19% · District 30% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 31% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 29% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 17%

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

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 20% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 47% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

This schoolApple Valley Unified, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income19%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income19%Higher-income34%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income6%Higher-income11%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income5%Higher-income19%14 pp gap