The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in Social studies. The lowest is 57% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Par Excellence Academy Dba Par Excellence Stem Academy
Par Excellence STEM Academy is a small, tuition-free public charter school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Newark. The school has repositioned itself around a schoolwide STEM curriculum anchored in Project Lead The Way, Learning Blade, and InventionLand Education, with each student working on a 1:1 iPad or Chromebook. As a community charter school, it draws students from across Licking County with no property-tax, bond, or levy obligation attached to enrollment.
The school's enrollment sits at around a few over one hundred students spread across seven grades, with a student body that is predominantly white, a solid share multiracial, and smaller populations of Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander students. Free-and-reduced-price-lunch data and special-education enrollment counts are not publicly reported.
On state testing in 2024-25, Par Excellence's results are mixed. English language arts proficiency came in at a mid-range level across grades three through eight, while math proficiency fell a bit short of that. Science proficiency, tested on a smaller cohort in grade four, was notably stronger. When the school reports results across all tested grades and subjects, the combined proficiency index sits above the midpoint relative to other districts in Licking County. The school has only one prior year of comparable testing data available, so trend analysis is not yet possible.
The school operates within a housing market where home values have risen modestly in recent years and remain slightly below state median. Newark itself is the county seat and a mixed-use small city undergoing revitalization. Downtown has a walkable pedestrian-friendly core ringed by Victorian-era buildings, while the broader city includes suburban residential areas, manufacturing corridors, and retail zones. The area is on a growth trajectory, with population rising steadily over the past decade. Regional economic momentum is being driven by large industrial projects, including Intel's chip-fabrication campus being built roughly thirty to forty miles northwest in Licking County, expected to create a major influx of jobs beginning in 2028.
A parent considering this school should understand that the STEM-intensive curriculum, technology integration, and charter model represent a deliberate pedagogical choice distinct from traditional public elementary schools in the county. Test results show the school is performing within reasonable range on standardized measures, though not at the top of the county. The very small enrollment and grade-level cohort sizes mean decisions about instruction and program likely reflect limited resource scale. The school's published STEM mission and curriculum framework make clear the school's daily instructional identity, which a family would want to visit and understand directly before enrolling. Licking County's growth context may mean the school itself will face enrollment pressures or expansion opportunities as the region develops.
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