Phoenix Academy Charter School

Phoenix Academy Charter School is the only school in the Phoenix Academy Charter School district, a single-school charter district in North Branch, Minnesota that serves grades K–8 with 156 students, though the area summary classifies it as an elementary school. Because the district contains just this one school, district test scores are identical to school test scores, and the state of Minnesota is the only outside comparison. The school holds a 2-star rating, with a district rank of 272 of 458 (41st percentile) and a 2025–26 school rank of 497 of 869 (43rd percentile). Enrollment is small at 156 students, with 42.95% eligible for free/reduced lunch and a student-teacher ratio of 14.8 in 2024–25.

Results are mixed rather than uniformly strong or weak. The brightest spots are 3rd grade math at 72.2% proficient versus 57.9% statewide (+14.3 percentage points), 3rd grade reading at 50% versus 46.8% (+3.2 pp), all-grades math at 45.7% versus 44.9% (+0.8 pp), and all-grades science at 26.7% versus 25.5% (+1.2 pp). The clearest gaps are 4th grade math at 39.3% versus 55.2% (−15.9 pp), 4th grade reading at 35.7% versus 48.8% (−13.1 pp), 5th grade math at 33.3% versus 41.9% (−8.6 pp), and all-grades reading at 42.9% versus 48.6% (−5.7 pp).

Looking across years, math has been the more consistent relative strength, beating the state in both reported years (+2.84 pp in 2024–25 and +0.8 pp in 2025–26), while reading trailed the state in both years. Science was slightly below state in 2024–25 but slightly above in 2025–26, and the reported science data appears to be essentially 5th grade only. Rank history moved from the 35th percentile in 2023–24 to the 48th percentile in 2024–25, then to the 43rd percentile in 2025–26, holding 2 stars each year. Sixth-grade math and reading scores are suppressed by the state and are unknown, not a sign of weakness. With only 156 students, a few students can shift these percentages noticeably.