Summary:
Cirrus Charter Academy is the sole school in the State Specialty Schools II- Cirrus Charter Academy district, a K-8 elementary school in Macon, GA, serving 429 students where 100% qualify for free/reduced lunch.
This school faces severe academic challenges despite some positive operational metrics. Cirrus Charter Academy ranks in the bottom 1-6% of all Georgia schools over the past three years, currently sitting at the 1st percentile (rank 1211 out of 1219 schools). Proficiency rates are dramatically below state averages across every subject and grade level. In 2025-2026, math proficiency ranges from just 6.0% (7th grade) to 8.6% (4th grade), compared to state averages of 40-50%. Science is even lower, with 5th grade at just 2.0% proficiency and 8th grade at 8.8%. Most striking is 8th grade social studies, which shows 0% proficiency for two consecutive years. The most recent ELA data (2024-2025) shows similar gaps, with proficiency ranging from 5.7% (6th grade) to 20.5% (4th grade).
What makes this school particularly puzzling is the contrast between its inputs and outcomes. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at just 3.3%—roughly one-fifth of the state average of 17.7%—and per-student spending is high at $17,110. Yet these advantages have not translated into academic success. Year-over-year data shows significant volatility, with 4th grade math dropping from 23.1% to 8.6% and 8th grade math falling from 25.0% to 7.0% between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. The school's percentile rank has also declined from the 6th percentile to the 1st percentile over three years, suggesting the state is improving faster than this school. For parents, this school shows students are attending regularly and resources are available, but the instructional model is not producing results. The consistent low performance across all grades and subjects points to systemic issues rather than isolated problems, and the high spending with low outcomes raises serious questions about how funds are being utilized.
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