Academy for Business and Technology

The Academy for Business and Technology district serves 487 students across two schools—an elementary school (PK-5) and a high school (6-12)—in a high-poverty urban area where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The Academy for Business and Technology Elementary and the Academy for Business and Technology High School both struggle with academic proficiency, scoring well below state averages in ELA and math across all grade levels. For example, only 11-23% of elementary students are proficient in ELA compared to roughly 40% statewide, and math proficiency is even lower. The high school shows similar patterns, with 10th-grade PSAT ELA proficiency at just 13.8% versus the state's 58%. However, the two schools differ in a key area: the high school boasts an 88% graduation rate—above the state average of 84%—despite its low test scores. This suggests the high school prioritizes keeping students on track to graduate, possibly aided by a favorable 11.7:1 student-teacher ratio, compared to the elementary school's 15.5:1 ratio.

The most pressing issue district-wide is chronic absenteeism, affecting 55.5% of students—exactly double the state average. With over half of students regularly missing school, learning is severely disrupted, which likely explains much of the low academic performance. The elementary school's state ranking has also been volatile, swinging from the 8th to 17th percentile and back, making it hard to gauge true progress. For parents, the takeaway is mixed: while test scores are concerning, the high school's above-average graduation rate and smaller class sizes indicate a supportive environment focused on student persistence. The elementary school, however, faces greater challenges with larger classes and inconsistent year-to-year results. Any family considering these schools should weigh the high school's graduation success against the pervasive attendance crisis that affects both campuses.