PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Q: Is PUC Inspire Charter Academy a good school?

PUC Inspire Charter Academy ranks 1900 th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

PUC Inspire Charter Academy is a middle school located in Pacoima, CA serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 195 students. The school faces significant challenges, with consistently underperforming test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and a high-need student population.

PUC Inspire Charter Academy's academic performance is a major concern. The school consistently underperforms the state average in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics on the Smarter Balanced Assessments, with proficiency rates ranging from 38.24% to 40% in ELA and 9.2% to 20% in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 45.82% to 47.19% and 31.57% to 34.31%, respectively. The school's Science proficiency on the CAST exam was also low at 9.2%, compared to the state average of 28.95%. Additionally, the school's performance for English Language Learner (ELL) students, Hispanic students, and students with low socioeconomic status is particularly low, ranking in the bottom 10-15% to 25-30% of California middle schools.

When compared to nearby public schools, such as Olive Vista Middle, Pacoima Middle, and San Fernando Institute of Applied Media, PUC Inspire Charter Academy generally underperforms in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency rates. The school's statewide ranking has also steadily declined over the past few years, from a rank of 868 out of 894 California middle schools in 2020-2021 to a rank of 1900 out of 2777 in 2023-2024, with a 2-star rating, suggesting that it is struggling to keep pace with other middle schools in the state.

Detail:

Public, Charter 6-8

12550 Van Nuys Blvd.
Pacoima, CA 91331-1354

(818) 492-1880

District: PUC Inspire Charter Academy District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1900^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 18.5

Number of students: 224

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.0%

African American:

1.8%

White:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details PUC Inspire Charter Academy ranks worse than 68.4% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.97. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

PUC Inspire Charter Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks PUC Inspire Charter Academy 1900^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See PUC Inspire Charter Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

PUC Inspire Charter Academy District:

SchoolDigger ranks PUC Inspire Charter Academy District 1154^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for PUC Inspire Charter Academy

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Rank History for all students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	22.97	2060^th	2715	24.1%
2021	8.56	868^th	894	2.9%
2022	9.32	2659^th	2740	3.0%
2023	19.12	2319^th	2802	17.2%
2024	27.97	1900^th	2777	31.6%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	47.19	490^th	1442	66.0%
2021	33.38	276^th	363	24.0%
2022	27.13	1376^th	1540	10.6%
2023	24.84	1486^th	1529	2.8%
2024	28.75	1296^th	1477	12.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	37.47	848^th	1550	45.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	30.17	1687^th	2369	28.8%
2021	11.41	702^nd	721	2.6%
2022	11.83	2354^th	2458	4.2%
2023	24.73	1983^rd	2549	22.2%
2024	36.04	1526^th	2575	40.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	19.01	1981^st	2380	16.8%
2021	9.43	723^rd	738	2.0%
2022	9.35	2453^rd	2509	2.2%
2023	21.63	2027^th	2547	20.4%
2024	32.80	1581^st	2546	37.9%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	36.82	814^th	1491	45.4%
2021	31.80	243^rd	354	31.4%
2022	31.55	1008^th	1531	34.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	26.55	1740^th	2407	27.7%
2021	9.11	750^th	763	1.7%
2022	9.90	2457^th	2527	2.8%
2023	16.41	2269^th	2558	11.3%
2024	23.66	1929^th	2547	24.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	30.24	1537^th	2213	30.5%
2022	10.93	2282^nd	2359	3.3%
2023	22.40	1931^st	2391	19.2%
2024	36.77	1404^th	2383	41.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for PUC Inspire Charter Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2019	3	4	4	316	9	336
2020	1	4	2	275	11	293
2021	2	5	2	247	10	266
2022	3	3	2	198	2	208
2023	2	3	1	188	1	195
2024	2	4	2	215	1	224

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at PUC Inspire Charter Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	336	14.0	24.0	78.3
2020	293	n/a	n/a	94.5
2021	266	15.0	17.7	95.9
2022	208	11.8	17.5	97.6
2023	195	11.0	17.6	97.9
2024	224	12.0	18.5	98.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio PUC Inspire Charter Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	336	14.0	24.0	78.3
2020	293	n/a	n/a	94.5
2021	266	15.0	17.7	95.9
2022	208	11.8	17.5	97.6
2023	195	11.0	17.6	97.9
2024	224	12.0	18.5	98.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on PUC Inspire Charter Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 2060^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 2319^th of 2802 Middle schools	6.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (PUC Inspire Charter Academy)	7.6	16.1	8.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (PUC Inspire Charter Academy)	7.6	10.7	3.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (PUC Inspire Charter Academy)	28	34.9	6.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (PUC Inspire Charter Academy)	21.5	6	15.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (PUC Inspire Charter Academy)	46.2	36.9	9.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (PUC Inspire Charter Academy)	23.1	4.6	18.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (PUC Inspire Charter Academy)	18.5	9.2	9.3%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	336	195	42%
African American	4	3	25%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	316	188	40.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	2	33.3%
Two or More Races	9	1	88.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.3%	97.9%	19.7%

Schools Near PUC Inspire Charter Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts (2024)			CAST Science (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
PUC Inspire Charter Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	12550 Van Nuys Blvd.	Pacoima	91331	Los Angeles County	PUC Inspire Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 492-1880	224	12	18.5	98.7%	2 (0.9%)	4 (1.8%)	215 (96.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	28	1900^th of 2777 public middle schools	31.6%		19.1	2319^th of 2802 public middle schools	17.2%	419				9.2	9.2	39.0	38.2	40.0	39.2	20.0	14.7	9.2	14.0
Charles Maclay Middle	Public	6-8	12540 Pierce Ave.	Pacoima	91331	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 686-3800	280	20	13.9	95.0%	4 (1.4%)	8 (2.9%)	264 (94.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	12.9	2551^st of 2777 public middle schools	8.1%		13.2	2580^th of 2802 public middle schools	7.9%	29			7.1	11.5	11.5	20.3	18.8	20.0	19.7	4.0	3.1	9.8	6.1	$12,070
PUC Lakeview Charter Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	11465 Kagel Canyon St.	Lake View Terrace	91342	Los Angeles County	PUC Lakeview Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 485-0340	315	16	19.5	93.3%	6 (1.9%)	11 (3.5%)	288 (91.4%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	30.9	1769^th of 2777 public middle schools	36.3%		28	1902^nd of 2802 public middle schools	32.1%	133				26.6	26.6	26.1	31.1	32.1	30.0	10.6	17.2	29.4	19.8
San Fernando Middle	Public	6-8	130 North Brand Blvd.	San Fernando	91340	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 837-5400	534	33	16.0	94.2%	10 (1.9%)	7 (1.3%)	507 (94.9%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	19.3	2277^th of 2777 public middle schools	18.0%		19.8	2286^th of 2802 public middle schools	18.4%	9	4.8		5.3	11.9	11.9	32.6	25.2	24.1	26.8	11.9	12.9	12.8	12.6	$11,716
San Fernando Institute of Applied Media	Public	6-8	130 North Brand Blvd.	San Fernando	91340	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 837-5455	361	23	15.5	92.8%	8 (2.2%)	3 (0.8%)	346 (95.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	26	1989^th of 2777 public middle schools	28.4%		27.7	1924^th of 2802 public middle schools	31.3%	65				14.7	14.7	27.9	36.5	38.7	34.3	9.7	16.7	16.8	14.4	$9,765
PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	1218 North Fourth St.	San Fernando	91340	Los Angeles County	PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 256-1951	352	16	22.0	91.8%	9 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	339 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	31.9	1730^th of 2777 public middle schools	37.7%		27.3	1940^th of 2802 public middle schools	30.8%	210				19.1	19.1	33.0	41.8	40.9	38.6	15.2	20.9	13.9	16.6
Pacoima Middle	Public	6-8	9919 Laurel Canyon Blvd.	Pacoima	91331	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 686-4200	890	46	19.5	90.4%	25 (2.8%)	12 (1.3%)	833 (93.6%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.2%)	34.1	1662^nd of 2777 public middle schools	40.2%		28.4	1880^th of 2802 public middle schools	32.9%	218			0.0	12.8	12.8	40.9	36.5	34.8	37.2	29.1	24.4	18.0	23.6	$9,669
Bert Corona Charter	Public, Charter	5-8	9400 Remick Ave.	Pacoima	91331	Los Angeles County	Bert Corona Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 834-5805	349	15	23.4	85.1%	5 (1.4%)	3 (0.9%)	339 (97.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15	2473^rd of 2777 public middle schools	10.9%		15.2	2502^nd of 2802 public middle schools	10.7%	29				9.1	10.3	19.3	22.2	30.0	24.1	5.0	8.3	11.8	8.1
Olive Vista Middle	Public	6-8	14600 Tyler St.	Sylmar	91342	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 833-3900	968	53	18.2	86.1%	23 (2.4%)	18 (1.9%)	909 (93.9%)	6 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.0%)	32.6	1717^th of 2777 public middle schools	38.2%		31.7	1759^th of 2802 public middle schools	37.2%	42	0.0	0.0	5.6	17.9	17.9	32.6	37.2	31.1	33.5	20.1	26.0	24.5	23.4	$10,075
Richard E. Byrd Middle	Public	6-8	8501 Arleta Ave.	Sun Valley	91352	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 394-4300	968	56	17.4	86.1%	46 (4.8%)	6 (0.6%)	851 (87.9%)	61 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	36.7	1572^nd of 2777 public middle schools	43.4%		31.2	1777^th of 2802 public middle schools	36.6%	205				17.6	17.6	33.0	39.0	34.2	35.6	26.9	28.2	25.8	27.0	$9,970

Frequently Asked Questions about PUC Inspire Charter Academy

How many students attend PUC Inspire Charter Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 224 students attended PUC Inspire Charter Academy.

What is the racial makeup of PUC Inspire Charter Academy?

Students at PUC Inspire Charter Academy are 96% Hispanic, 2% African American.

Is PUC Inspire Charter Academy a good school?

PUC Inspire Charter Academy ranks 1900^th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is PUC Inspire Charter Academy in?

PUC Inspire Charter Academy District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.