Original Research by School Decision on Empower Generations
Empower Generations is a small charter high school in Lancaster serving students in grades nine through twelve. The school serves a population that is roughly evenly split between Black and Hispanic students, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is small, with roughly a quarter to a third of students in each grade level.
The school relocated to a much larger campus in 2023 after growth had plateaued at its former location due to lack of space. This move expanded the school's physical capacity to serve more families, though enrollment remains modest. The school has a particular mission around serving pregnant and parenting teens, a population with specific needs and circumstances.
On state testing, Empower Generations' performance is well below proficiency benchmarks. English language arts proficiency stands at roughly three in ten students meeting the standard. In mathematics, the proficiency rate is substantially lower, in single digits. Science testing data was suppressed, likely due to small sample sizes. The school has only one year of data available, so trends cannot yet be assessed. A parent may want to look directly into the school's academic support structures, curriculum, and outcomes tracking, particularly around math, to understand what is in place to move these numbers.
The school is authorized by Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District, which in 2025 adopted tighter financial and operational oversight policies for its authorized charters following a settlement tied to earlier charter oversight lapses. This is a structural change in how the authorizing district monitors the school.
Lancaster itself is a mid-sized charter city in the high-desert Antelope Valley, anchored by a revitalized downtown cultural district called The BLVD, which has concentrated civic and cultural institutions. The broader city is car-oriented development. The local economy is rooted in aerospace, defense, healthcare, and education, with major employers including Edwards Air Force Base, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and the regional hospital. Housing is relatively affordable compared to statewide benchmarks, though rental costs have remained stable while home values have declined slightly in the recent period. The region has seen development focused on industrial and residential growth, and regional rail service via Metrolink connects to downtown Los Angeles.
Empower Generations serves a community with high economic need and provides pathways for students whose circumstances—pregnancy, parenting, or other barriers—may require flexible schooling. The school's small size creates an intimate setting. The academic data indicates the school is in a position where strengthening core instruction in mathematics and English is central to its mission, and a prospective family should understand what specific supports and resources the school deploys toward that work.
See more original research from School Decision →