The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 22%.
Original Research by School Decision on Robert F. Kennedy Charter
Robert F. Kennedy Charter sits on Albuquerque's southwest side, serving grades six through twelve as a standalone charter rather than part of a traditional school feeder pattern. The school draws a mid-sized enrollment for its grade band, with the largest concentration in the early high school years. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, reflecting the surrounding neighborhoods in this part of the city.
Albuquerque itself is New Mexico's largest city, a sprawling, car-oriented place divided into quadrants by Central Avenue and the railroad tracks. The school's location on Blake Road SW places it in the Southwest quadrant, an area of the city that blends residential blocks with commercial corridors along the mesas. Housing in the school's zip code sits well below both state and national benchmarks for home values, and rents are modest by national standards, with the monthly cost of owning running higher than renting in this area. The broader city economy is anchored by federal installations like Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base, the University of New Mexico, a growing film and media sector, and healthcare systems. Population in the city has been roughly flat to slightly declining in recent years, and the city has promoted affordable housing initiatives, which speaks to the economic realities many families at this school face.
On state assessments for the most recent reported year, the school's results are low across subjects. In math, only a handful of tested students reached proficiency, placing the school in the lowest reporting band. English language arts was stronger by comparison, with roughly a fifth of tested students scoring proficient, though still below what most families would hope to see. Science results also fell in a low band. Only one year of data was available, so no trend can be drawn from these numbers. A parent may want to look into how the school supports students who arrive below grade level and what interventions or instructional approaches are in place, since the proficiency figures suggest many students are working to catch up.
Several data points parents might expect are simply absent. The school serves high school grades, but no graduation rate was reported in the data provided. Information on English learner status and special education enrollment was missing. No course access data was available, so we cannot speak to whether the school offers Advanced Placement, dual credit, career pathways, or other program options. Staffing figures, attendance patterns, and discipline data were also not provided. No neighbor comparison fact-set was available to position this school against nearby charters or traditional public schools. We searched for parent-relevant changes in the broader Albuquerque district context but found no reported policy, curriculum, or funding shifts to include.
What the available picture does convey is a school serving a high-need student population in an affordable corner of a large, sprawling city. The academic results are low, and the absence of graduation and program data means families would need to go directly to the school to understand what the high school experience looks like, what courses are available, and how students progress toward graduation. For a family considering this school, the most useful next step would be asking the school directly about its academic supports, its high school course of study, and its track record helping students who enter below grade level move toward a diploma.
See more original research from School Decision →