Central Academy of Arts and Technology, Bakersfield CA

Original Research by School Decision on Central Academy of Arts and Technology

Central Academy of Arts and Technology is a newly opened charter school in downtown Bakersfield, serving middle grades and beginning to expand into high school. The school launched in August 2024 as the city's first in-person public charter school, filling a gap that did not previously exist: a tuition-free, open-enrollment option with no attendance boundaries for Bakersfield families. It sits in a converted downtown building and is growing quickly, having added ninth grade for the current school year and planning tenth grade for next year, with a path toward becoming a full TK-12 academy.

The school's academic performance, measured by spring 2025 state testing, shows a mixed picture across grades and subjects. In English language arts, students in the upper grades perform noticeably stronger; eighth graders achieved above the midpoint for the district's county comparison set, while performance dips significantly in the lower elementary grades. Math proficiency is lower overall, ranging from the low teens in fifth grade to the low-to-mid-40s in sixth and seventh grades, with eighth graders again showing a drop. Science proficiency, tested in fifth and eighth grade, falls below the county midpoint. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile among Kern County districts, a result driven in part by the stronger performance in upper-middle grades and in language arts. This is meaningful context: the school is young, still filling classrooms, and the data reflects a single year of operation.

The school operates as a college-preparatory academy with a focus on arts and technology. High school students, once the program reaches fuller buildout, will take dual enrollment classes through community colleges and California State University Bakersfield, earning general education college credits while still in high school. This is a substantive differentiator from a traditional comprehensive high school and targets families who want a structured college-prep pathway with early dual-credit earning.

The school's physical footprint is a near-term consideration. It operates from one downtown building and is actively searching for a second campus, as enrollment has grown rapidly and space is constrained. Families considering the school may want to look into the timeline and location of any second campus, as growth and facility availability will shape the student experience.

Bakersfield itself is among California's fastest-growing large cities and is centered on agriculture, energy, and healthcare. Downtown, where the school is located, has been undergoing reinvestment and now contains an education district with satellite college campuses, civic institutions, and restored retail and dining. The school's position in this downtown core places it near public transit and library services but in a car-dependent city overall.

The school is too new to report enrollment demographics, a graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, or other outcomes that would allow a fuller picture of the peer environment or student support landscape. State testing data comes from a single school year, and trend data does not yet exist. For families weighing this school, the appeal hinges on the charter structure, the college-prep high school model that is still under construction, and the downtown location, alongside willingness to be part of a young institution that is expanding and finding its operational footing.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · district not reported

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · district not reported

even with state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 514%

School 14% · district not reported

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

Grade 640%

School 40% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 742%

School 42% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · district not reported

▼ 9 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · district not reported

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 544%

School 44% · district not reported

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

Grade 652%

School 52% · district not reported

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · district not reported

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 869%

School 69% · district not reported

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · district not reported

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 5 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 5Lower-income29%Higher-income64%35 pp gap