Ballington Academy for the Arts and Scis - San Bernardino

Ballington Academy for the Arts and Scis - San Bernardino is a small, independent public elementary school (grades K-5) serving 152 students in San Bernardino, and it stands out for achieving remarkable academic growth in recent years despite serving a community with significant economic need.

The school's story is one of impressive turnaround, having climbed from one of the lowest rankings in the state to now performing above average. It particularly excels in science, where its students' proficiency nearly doubles the state average and far outpaces all nearby schools, including the higher-performing Savant Preparatory Academy. Furthermore, its fifth graders demonstrate exceptional readiness, scoring over 90% proficient in English. This success is achieved while spending less per student than most neighboring schools, suggesting efficient use of resources within its independent district, which outperforms the larger San Bernardino City Unified district that governs most area schools.

While the upper grades shine, there is notable inconsistency, with fourth-grade scores being much lower, indicating potential variations between teaching cohorts or curriculum alignment. A significant challenge shared with other local schools is chronic student absenteeism, which is higher than the state average and may be limiting even greater academic progress. Overall, Ballington Academy represents a compelling option for families, demonstrating that strong outcomes, especially in science and for graduating fifth graders, are possible in the local context.