Nova Academy Prichard, Dallas TX

Original Research by School Decision on Nova Academy Prichard

Nova Academy Prichard is a charter school serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Dallas, with about one-third the student body of a typical elementary school. It operates as part of Nova Academy Southeast, a charter district. The school sits in a zip code where median home values have declined modestly and rental costs have been flat, sitting below the state benchmark for housing costs.

The school's academic profile shows wide variability across grades and subjects. In English language arts, performance is strongest in the upper middle grades: seventh and eighth graders show substantially higher proficiency than younger students, with eighth-grade reading at a notably strong level. Math proficiency is lower overall, starting very low in third grade and rising through fifth and sixth before declining again in seventh and eighth. Science proficiency is weak at both fifth and eighth grades. Across all tested subjects, about two-thirds of students reach the "approaches" level (the minimum threshold), roughly four-tenths reach "meets," and about one-sixth reach "masters" (the highest level). When set against other schools in Dallas County, Nova Academy Prichard's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, a meaningful strength in a competitive district landscape.

The student body is economically disadvantaged: about ninety percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black student population, and very few white students. A small share of the school is in preK and kindergarten, with the bulk of enrollment concentrated in grades three through eight.

A parent considering this school should be aware of a significant stability question. In 2026, Nova Academy Southeast applied to the Texas Education Agency to permanently close Nova Academy Prichard and transfer its students to a sister charter school elsewhere in Dallas County. The district withdrew that application, but the attempt signals real uncertainty about the future of a very small charter organization serving fewer than three hundred students. For a family seeking long-term continuity, this history merits a direct conversation with school leadership about enrollment outlook and operational plans.

State testing data is the only measure available. Graduation rates do not apply because the school does not serve high school grades. Information about special education enrollment, English learner identification, attendance, discipline, and staff composition was not available in the data.

Dallas itself continues rapid growth and new residential development, particularly in downtown and uptown neighborhoods, though this particular school's enrollment zone does not appear to be in those hot markets. The broader Dallas economy is diverse and strong, anchored by major employers in technology, finance, and health care.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 17%

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

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 49%

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

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 45%

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

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 17%

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

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 21%

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

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

This schoolNOVA ACADEMY SOUTHEAST, 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 6Lower-income52%Higher-income0%52 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income55%Higher-income0%55 pp gap