Cougar Academy

Cougar Academy is an alternative public magnet school located in Harrisburg City School District, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 322 students. Despite the significant resources invested in the school, Cougar Academy's academic performance lags behind state and district averages.

Cougar Academy's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 67.3% to 92.8% over the past few years, which is significantly lower than the state average of around 90%. The school also has higher dropout rates, ranging from 0.6% to 7.0%, compared to the state average. Academically, Cougar Academy's test scores are significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 3.4% of Cougar Academy students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 41.7% statewide and 5.3% in the Harrisburg City School District. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students (over 99%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Interestingly, the nearby Reach Cyber Charter School and Commonwealth Charter Academy Charter School have significantly higher test scores, graduation rates, and lower dropout rates compared to Cougar Academy, suggesting that the alternative public magnet school model may not be as effective as the charter school model in this area. Despite the significant increase in spending per student at Cougar Academy, from $8,676 in 2019-2020 to $23,203 in 2022-2023, the school's academic outcomes remain significantly below state and district averages, raising questions about the effective use of resources and the need for a more comprehensive approach to improving educational outcomes.