The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Synergy Charter Academy
Synergy Charter Academy is a small elementary school in South Los Angeles serving kindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits on an enrolled base of about three hundred students, most of them Hispanic, and serves a community where the vast majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school operates as an independent charter within its own district and shares its campus with Quincy Jones Elementary, a district school.
The school's test results show mixed performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, students in fourth grade reach above-median proficiency statewide, while third and fifth graders score below that mark. Math proficiency runs lower overall, with only fourth graders reaching above-median levels; third and fifth graders fall substantially behind. Fifth grade science proficiency is weak. When averaged across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among the schools tested in Los Angeles County, a meaningful fact given the economic constraints of the population served, though it also reflects the reality that the school starts from a lower baseline.
The year-to-year pattern in proficiency has no earlier comparison; the school has only one year of state data, so readers cannot yet see whether test results are moving up, holding steady, or declining. A parent may want to ask the school directly about performance trends and what academic supports are in place for struggling students, particularly in the lower-performing grades.
Recent operational context may matter to families considering the school. A 2024 Los Angeles Unified School District co-location policy limited where charter schools could be sited, which directly affected Synergy's shared-campus arrangement. That policy was found illegal under Proposition 39 by a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling in 2025, but changes to charter allocations are not expected until the 2026-27 school year, leaving near-term uncertainty about facility details. The district's middle school, Synergy Kinetic Academy, received a five-year charter renewal in December 2025 on a unanimous board vote, signaling institutional continuity for families who plan to stay in the system.
The school now offers the state-funded Expanded Learning Opportunities Program year-round at no cost to families, providing before and after-school care and enrichment across the full calendar. For a working family seeking structured care alongside academics, this is a concrete asset.
The broader South Los Angeles context is one of density, transit access via Metro bus lines, and a predominantly Latino neighborhood with strong family and community ties. Housing costs in the zip code where the school sits are moderate relative to broader Los Angeles, with median home values and rents recently showing small declines. The area reflects the economic realities the school's enrollment numbers underscore: limited wealth, high dependence on public assistance, and the kinds of pressures that make year-round childcare support meaningful to families.
See more original research from School Decision →