Capital City Independent Study, Sacramento CA

Original Research by School Decision on Capital City Independent Study

Capital City Independent Study is an alternative school serving kindergarten through grade twelve in Sacramento. The school enrolls a modest population that is diverse in race and ethnicity, with students who are predominantly economically disadvantaged. About three-quarters of the enrollment come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Asian, Hispanic, Black, and White students each make up meaningful shares of the enrollment.

The school's academic performance on state assessments is weak across the board. In English language arts, proficiency rates range from low single digits in the elementary and middle grades to around one-quarter in seventh grade, then drop again in eighth grade. Math proficiency is substantially lower, with rates in the single digits across tested grades. Science shows a bit more strength, with proficiency around one-quarter in fifth grade and lower in eighth grade. These results place the school in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Sacramento County when measured by overall proficiency across tested subjects.

Data on several school characteristics that typically inform enrollment choices were not available. The school does not report enrollment counts for English learners or students with individualized education plans, a gap common to alternative schools. No high school graduation rate was provided, though the school does enroll students through grade twelve. No information about course offerings, program focus, staffing ratios, attendance rates, or discipline practices appeared in the available data.

What defines Capital City is its model. As an alternative school, it operates outside the traditional classroom structure. Independent study schools typically serve students who need flexible scheduling, have experienced truancy or behavioral challenges in conventional settings, are working or parenting, or have other nontraditional needs. This format can suit families seeking self-paced or work-aligned pathways that conventional schools do not offer. The fit depends entirely on whether a student's learning style and life circumstances align with independent work and less classroom-based instruction.

The broader context for Sacramento City Unified, the district that houses this school, includes significant recent disruption. A facilities bond approved by voters in 2024 means property tax increases for residents. More consequentially, the district is in acute financial distress. A Fiscal Solvency Plan approved in late 2025 signals serious budget cuts, furloughs, and layoffs affecting staff across the system. The state has warned the district could face receivership. These pressures mean curriculum purchases have been delayed, technology upgrades postponed, and staffing reduced. For a small alternative school like Capital City, dependent on district resources for supplies and support, those cuts are likely to be felt directly.

Parents considering Capital City should be clear that this school's state test results are among the lowest in the county. If traditional proficiency measures matter to a family's educational goals, the data here would warrant careful conversation with the school about how it defines and tracks learning beyond state assessments. If independent study meets a student's specific needs and circumstances, the school may serve that purpose. But its low academic outputs and the district's current fiscal crisis are facts worth understanding before enrollment.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

55-59%Cohort of 112 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 57%

School 7% · District 28% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 36% · ▼ 36 pts below district

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

Grade 74%

School 4% · District 32% · ▼ 28 pts below district

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

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 26% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 39% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 66%

School 6% · District 44% · ▼ 38 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 44% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 40% · ▼ 33 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 28% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 25% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 46% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

This schoolSacramento City Unified, 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.