Puc Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy, San Fernando CA

Original Research by School Decision on Puc Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy

PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy is a middle grades charter school serving grades six through eight in San Fernando, a small, densely populated city in the northeast San Fernando Valley. The school enrolls a student body that is almost entirely Hispanic, with an overwhelming majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school operates within its own single-school charter district.

On state testing, PUC Nueva Esperanza shows low proficiency across all tested areas. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from about a third of students in sixth grade to roughly half in seventh grade, dropping back to about a third by eighth grade. Mathematics proficiency is significantly lower, with roughly a quarter of sixth and seventh graders meeting proficiency standards and a substantially smaller share of eighth graders. In the one science test administered, given to eighth graders, proficiency falls well below one in five students. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quarter of schools in Los Angeles County.

The data available shows enrollment as relatively small for a middle school, with roughly even distribution across the three grade levels. More than nine in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the neighborhood's economic profile. The school serves an almost entirely Hispanic and Latino population with very few students of other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Information on special education enrollment and English learner populations was not provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about services and supports in those areas.

San Fernando itself is among California's oldest and most walkable cities, entirely surrounded by Los Angeles, with a tight-knit, predominantly Hispanic community character. Downtown development centers on the San Fernando Mall and pedestrian routes along San Fernando Road. The city is on a growth trajectory through mixed-use residential development along commercial corridors and will gain major transit access when Metro's East San Fernando Valley Light Rail opens, running along nearby Van Nuys Boulevard with a planned station at San Fernando Road. These changes may reshape the school's student base and the broader community context in coming years. Housing costs in the zip code are currently moderate relative to state averages and have remained relatively stable.

The school's academic performance indicates that students are facing substantial gaps in foundational skills, particularly in mathematics. For a family considering this school, the strength lies in its location within a walkable, historically rooted community with growing transit investment and a clear mission tied to service in San Fernando itself. The academic numbers suggest that students will require sustained, targeted instruction to close proficiency gaps, and a parent should discuss curriculum, tutoring resources, and remedial support options directly with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 625%

School 25% · district not reported

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

Grade 728%

School 28% · district not reported

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

Grade 817%

School 17% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 640%

School 40% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 747%

School 47% · district not reported

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

Grade 838%

School 38% · district not reported

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Science

Grade 818%

School 18% · district not reported

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 6 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income42%Higher-income31%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income44%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income19%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income28%Higher-income25%3 pp gap