Compass Academy Charter School, Odessa TX

Original Research by School Decision on Compass Academy Charter School

Compass Academy is a charter school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade in Odessa, operating as its own school district and funded by state per-pupil attendance rather than property taxes. With roughly fourteen-hundred students, it has grown from a heavily oversubscribed waiting list to a larger operation by adding portable classroom buildings for upper grades, though demand still outpaces capacity. The school draws a student body that is substantially white, with a secondary Hispanic population and very low rates of free-or-reduced-price lunch, reflecting the enrollment profile of families choosing the charter option.

On state assessments, Compass Academy's performance reads as mixed across subjects and grades. In English language arts, the school shows relative strength in the upper elementary and middle grades, with reading proficiency at solid levels in grades four through eight. Mathematics is the softer area, with proficiency consistently in the mid-range across elementary and middle school, dipping notably in the early grades. Science proficiency is low in grade five but strengthens considerably by grade eight. Social studies, tested in grade eight alone, shows low proficiency. A parent looking at these results will see that the school is neither a top performer across the board nor struggling uniformly; rather, the picture is one of uneven strength, with ELA outperforming math and science results improving as students progress. The school's proficiency index places it at the top within Ector County's school districts, though that comparison is among a small group. No prior-year data is available to show whether these results represent stable performance or recent change.

Compass Academy does not report a graduation rate on the state data system, a gap that typically applies to schools where recent cohorts have not yet completed their final year in the system. The high school grades nine through twelve are present, with enrollment spanning those levels, but a four-year cohort outcome has not yet been published or is not yet available.

The school's growth trajectory is actively reshaping its operations. Newly added portable classrooms house the upper grades, and the administration is pursuing permanent building construction in a later phase. More visibly, Compass has built out a full interscholastic athletics program fielding ten sports and recently competed in the UIL football playoffs. The school currently lacks its own athletic facilities and plays home games at off-campus stadiums, but a fundraising campaign for an on-campus sports complex is underway. For a family evaluating the school, this means the athletic footprint is expanding and becoming more substantial even as it remains in transition.

Odessa itself is shaped by oil and gas industries, with major employers spanning energy, healthcare, and retail. The city has grown markedly over the past decade, with new housing and commercial development concentrated in northern and eastern corridors like the Parks Bell Ranch master-planned community. Downtown Odessa is undergoing redevelopment with civic investments in a new courthouse complex and library, plus public art and dining, though much of daily life remains car-dependent. Home values in the area are moderate relative to the state and nation, and rental rates have remained flat recently. EZ-Rider provides local transit with morning-to-evening service on weekdays and reduced Saturday hours.

Compass Academy's position as a tuition-free charter means families do not contend with property tax implications of school choice, only the logistical question of whether the school's location and expanding campus serve their needs. The school draws families across Odessa, and enrollment is limited by physical capacity and state funding levels. Program offerings beyond athletics and the core academic curriculum were not detailed in available data, so a parent would want to inquire directly about course breadth, extracurriculars, career pathways, and any specialized or advanced coursework available at the high school level.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 40%

even with state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 37%

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

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 37%

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

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 45%

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

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 50%

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

English language arts

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 45%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 53%

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

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 63%

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

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 60%

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

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 55%

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

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 62%

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

Science

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 24%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Social studies

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 26%

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

This schoolCOMPASS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL, 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 8Lower-income60%Higher-income62%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income50%10 pp gap