Southern Arizona Community Academy

Southern Arizona Community Academy is a public charter high school in Tucson, Arizona, serving 112 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Southern Arizona Community Academy Inc. district, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite its diverse student population, Southern Arizona Community Academy faces significant challenges. The school has had very low four-year graduation rates, ranging from 7.1% to 28.6% in recent years, which is significantly lower than the state average. Additionally, the school has had high dropout rates, ranging from 4.5% to 12.2%, higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores are consistently below the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels, with only 14% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 40% and 32%, respectively.

While the school's racial diversity is a strength, its performance has declined over the years, from a ranking of 216 out of 471 Arizona high schools and a 3-star rating in 2011-2012 to a ranking of 325 out of 469 and a 2-star rating in 2022-2023. The school's performance varies significantly among different student subgroups, with male students generally performing better than female students and white students outperforming Hispanic students. Interestingly, the school's spending per student has remained relatively consistent, ranging from $10,160 to $10,741 in recent years, which is comparable to the nearby schools, such as SACA Online, which has an even lower statewide ranking and a 1-star rating.