Mojave River Academy - Marble City, Phelan CA

Original Research by School Decision on Mojave River Academy - Marble City

Mojave River Academy - Marble City is a small K-12 charter school serving the unincorporated desert community of Phelan in San Bernardino County. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and white, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic conditions in the area. The enrollment spans all grade levels but is concentrated in the upper grades, with high school grades outnumbering elementary and middle school cohorts. The school is located in a rural, car-dependent area characterized by large-lot single-family homes and a horse-friendly landscape, where residents have historically valued independence and peaceful surroundings.

Academically, the school's state assessment results present a serious concern. Proficiency in English Language Arts across all tested grades stands below the median for districts in San Bernardino County. Proficiency in mathematics is far lower, with students demonstrating minimal mastery on standardized tests across all measured grades. In science, the school shows similarly weak results. When aggregated, the school's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile among county districts, suggesting that students are not meeting grade-level standards in core subjects at rates consistent with regional performance.

The testing data reveals a pattern: mathematics proficiency is particularly depressed, ranging from near zero in several grades to single-digit rates in others. English Language Arts shows somewhat better outcomes in middle grades, with one grade reaching the low twenties percentile-wise, but elementary grades are too small or suppressed to report, and high school results are not available because the state does not test those grades on CAASPP. Science proficiency is uniformly low. Only one year of testing data is available, so trends cannot yet be assessed. A parent may want to look into these results directly with the school to understand the underlying context, the school's response, and any supports or interventions in place.

The school's demographic composition is stable. The student population reflects the community's racial and ethnic makeup and economic status. Specific data on the share of students with individualized education programs or English learner status was not available in the materials reviewed, so a parent seeking detail on those services may want to inquire directly.

Phelan itself is a growing rural community experiencing residential development pressure, with families drawn by affordable single-family homes on large parcels and the equestrian lifestyle. The local economy relies on construction, manufacturing, and education services, with many residents commuting to larger job centers in the Victor Valley region. Housing values in the 92371 zip code (Phelan's zip) sit below the state benchmark, and the community remains car-dependent, with most residents driving to shops, services, and employment. The area has limited transit and no dense downtown; civic life organizes around community center facilities, the county library branch, and schools scattered across the region.

The school operates as a charter within the Mojave River Academy network and sits within this specific desert community context. No graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data was available for the school, so a prospective parent of a high school student should ask the school directly about those outcomes and about its track record supporting students toward completion and post-secondary readiness.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

60-79%Cohort of 29 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 50%

School 0% · district not reported

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

Grade 66%

School 6% · district not reported

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

Grade 70%

School 0% · district not reported

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

Grade 87%

School 7% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 57%

School 7% · district not reported

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 622%

School 22% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 723%

School 23% · district not reported

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

Grade 814%

School 14% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · district not reported

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

Grade 84%

School 4% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

This schoolDistrict average, 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.