Granite Mountain Charter, Lucerne Valley CA

Original Research by School Decision on Granite Mountain Charter

Granite Mountain Charter serves an enrollment that spans from kindergarten through grade twelve, making it a K-12charter school in Lucerne Valley, an unincorporated rural desert community in San Bernardino County. The school's enrollment is substantial, with a student body that reflects the demographic character of the Mojave Desert region: a majority Latino student population, a sizeable white enrollment, and smaller populations of Asian, Black, and other students. About half the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a community with real economic constraints.

The school's state assessment results show clear subject variation. In English language arts, proficiency hovers in the mid-to-upper-40s range across grades three through eight, with grade seven hitting about half of students meeting or exceeding the standard. Math proficiency is notably lower, running in the 30s across most grades but dipping substantially lower in grade five. Science proficiency, reported for grades five and eight, sits in the mid-30s. These results place the school in the top quartile statewide in overall proficiency when averaging across tested subjects and grades, a strength relative to schools in San Bernardino County. However, the math results and the variance by grade and subject warrant real attention; grade five math in particular shows a significant dip that a parent may want to discuss with the school's leadership.

One notable feature of the school's enrollment is its bottom-heavy grade distribution. The school has substantial enrollment in kindergarten and early elementary, then thins considerably as it moves into high school; by grade twelve, enrollment is small. This shape is common among charter schools serving younger students by preference or design, but it means the secondary experience is different in scale and possibly in programming. The school's secondary grades, nine through twelve, enroll roughly a quarter of the total school population.

The school is situated in a community shaped by desert homesteading history and industrial manufacturing, principally cement production anchored by the Cushenbury plant. Housing is affordable, with a substantial share of the local stock being mobile homes. The broader economic profile includes construction and administrative/support services as secondary employment sectors. This is not a high-growth area; it is a small, established rural community with limited walkability and a car-dependent layout.

No state graduation rate data was available for the school. No data on course offerings, staffing depth, or advanced coursework was present in the available materials. The school's website and detailed program inventory were not accessible, so questions about dual-credit pathways, AP, career technical education, or specialized programs would need to be directed to the school directly. Attendance and chronic absenteeism metrics were also not reported.

For a parent considering this school, the key questions are whether the school's heavy primary enrollment aligns with your child's grade level, whether the middle and secondary experience meets your expectations given the smaller high school cohorts, and what intervention or acceleration support exists around math proficiency, particularly in the upper elementary grades.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

85-89%Cohort of 127 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 335%

School 35% · district not reported

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 434%

School 34% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · district not reported

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 733%

School 33% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 342%

School 42% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 443%

School 43% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 545%

School 45% · district not reported

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 647%

School 47% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 751%

School 51% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 848%

School 48% · district not reported

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above 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 3Lower-income35%Higher-income47%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income47%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income48%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income52%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income58%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income55%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income42%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income39%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income16%Higher-income22%6 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income20%Higher-income35%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income38%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income24%Higher-income41%17 pp gap