The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in Math. The lowest is 30% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on New Pacific School-rancho Cordova
New Pacific School-Rancho Cordova is a brand-new public charter school that opened in August 2023 and is in an active growth phase, adding one grade level annually. Currently serving kindergarten through sixth grade, the school plans to add seventh grade for the 2025-26 school year and eighth grade by fall 2026, with an ultimate goal of becoming a complete TK-12 program. This expanding footprint means families considering older students should verify grade availability in their intended enrollment year.
The school's instructional core is project-based, personalized learning embedded within the "Leader in Me" social-emotional and leadership curriculum, which is grounded in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This child-centered approach, organized around small, multi-age classrooms, represents a deliberate pedagogical choice that differs substantially from a traditional neighborhood school structure. Parents weighing this school should understand that this personalized, project-driven method is the defining characteristic they are choosing.
The enrollment is small, concentrated heavily in kindergarten, with modest numbers in the early elementary grades. The student body is economically diverse, with a majority qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and racially mixed, with representation across white, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, and other backgrounds. The school serves a neighborhood south of Highway 50 in the Rancho Cordova area, which itself is experiencing significant residential and commercial growth, particularly from the large Rio Del Oro development and other new master-planned communities.
State test results from the 2024-25 school year, the school's second full year of operation, show proficiency rates well below both county and state norms. In English language arts, the school's average proficiency across grades three through six was below the midpoint among Sacramento County district schools; in mathematics, results were similarly below the midpoint. Individual grades show variation, with third-grade math proficiency notably low, fourth-grade math and ELA both in the quarter-range, and sixth grade performing somewhat higher in both subjects, though still in the low-to-moderate range overall. Science data were suppressed for student privacy due to small cohort sizes, a common limitation in small schools. Given that this is only the school's second operational year and enrollment continues to build, these results should be read as baseline performance rather than a stable picture; parents may want to discuss growth trajectories and support structures directly with the school.
The school is tuition-free and operates as an independent LEA (local education agency) within the Folsom Cordova Unified School District boundary, meaning it does not answer to FCUSD policy but maintains its own governance and budget. Its charter authorization comes from Pacific Charter Institute. Special education enrollment and English learner enrollment data were not available, so interested families should request detailed information about support services for students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and other specialized needs.
The surrounding Rancho Cordova community is a suburban-to-emerging-urban landscape with major employment centers, light-rail transit access via the SacRT Gold Line, and rapid new development. Housing values in the 95670 zip code where the school is located are moderate compared to the state benchmark, and rental rates are in the mid-range, reflecting the area's position as an outer suburb of Sacramento with good job connectivity but more affordable entry than inner-ring communities. The region is family-oriented and economically mixed, with ongoing infrastructure and school construction to support growing population.
For families drawn to project-based, small-classroom, socio-emotionally grounded learning and comfortable with a school in its early years of operation, New Pacific represents a distinctive option. For families prioritizing established academic track records and traditional grade progression, or those needing grades above eight in the near term, the school's current stage and grade span may present constraints worth exploring further with school leadership.
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