Summary:
The Ki Charter network in Texas operates six campuses serving 444 students, with a heavy focus on alternative education across four "Alternative" schools and two "High" schools, ranking in the bottom 10% of Texas districts (868 out of 951) and facing significant academic challenges.
Within this network, Ki Charter - Temple stands out as the top performer, achieving a 3-star rating and a 64th percentile statewide rank despite being the smallest school with only 9 students and a 4.2:1 student-teacher ratio. It excels in English I Reading with 60% proficiency, far exceeding the district average of 29.5%. In contrast, Ki Charter Academy Liberty Hill has the highest per-student spending at $23,591 and shows strong results in U.S. History (75% proficient) and English II Reading (50% proficient), but also reports a staggering 11.1% dropout rate. Ki Charter Academy spends $19,033 per student but struggles with elementary math proficiency near zero, while Ki Charter - Fort Worth shows pockets of strength in 4th and 5th-grade Reading (30% and 28.57% proficient). The network's overall graduation rate is critically low at 3.6%, with a district dropout rate of 5.8%.
Key takeaways include a paradox of high spending (well above state average) yet low academic outcomes, likely driven by intensive support for a high-needs, at-risk population. The "Temple Anomaly" proves the model can work with very small class sizes, while inconsistent performance across campuses suggests varying leadership quality. A glimmer of hope exists in high school End-of-Course exams, where students who persist can achieve proficiency rivaling state averages, but the network fundamentally struggles with foundational skills and retention, as highlighted by the dropout crisis at Liberty Hill.
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