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School Profile · Fairfield

Public Safety Academy: Low-income kids here outscore the state by 39 points. But 8th graders score lower than 6th graders.

Public Safety Academy posts numbers for its most vulnerable students that most schools don't reach overall. The trend line is the part worth a closer look.

230 Atlantic Avenue, 94533·Fairfield-Suisun Unified·Fairfield·Grades 5-12·745 students·53% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(707) 421-3933·Website
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
Scope Score
57
🏫 Solid Base · Solid
ranked #291 statewide · #3 of 11 in Fairfield-Suisun Unified

Public Safety Academy scores 57 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 83rd percentile of 1,714 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “68% proficient” and call it done. Public Safety Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Fairfield, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 77.1% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

The story this school is actually telling

The equalizer · low-income proficiency
77.1%

of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

↑ the number zip-code rankings hide
The trajectory · grade 6→8
−4.6pp

proficiency falls from grade 6 (72%) to grade 8 (67%). The state average falls by −0.5pp over the same span.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

38%
41%
21%
Grade 6 · 79% proficient
28%
50%
22%
Grade 7 · 78% proficient
21%
54%
25%
Grade 8 · 75% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 17.0pp across grades; the floor slips 3.7pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A strong 6th grader at Public Safety Academy doesn't typically widen their lead by 8th grade. One question worth asking on a tour: are the strongest students being pushed, or coasting? A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

77.1%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Public Safety Academy's most underrated number

77.1% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Public Safety Academy low-income: 77.1%State low-income: 38.2%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
27.6%
State 17.3%
10.3pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
68.1%
State 39.5%
28.6pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-4.6pp
State +0.8pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
12.5%
State 19.1%
6.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
5.5%
State 4.2%
1.3pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask the principal what changes between grade 6 and grade 8. The trajectory is the thing a tour will tell you more about than a spreadsheet.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Path

Public Safety Academy serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.

Your other options

All schools in Fairfield →

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic42.1%
White16.9%
Asian11.5%
Black7.7%
Other21.7%
GenderFemale 48.6%Male 51.3%Non-binary 0.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
745
455 below CA avg (~1,200)
Free/Reduced Lunch
53%
11pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
25:1
4 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,452
District avg: $11,661 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$64,302 – $114,523
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Public Safety Academy in Fairfield, 77.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 30.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Public Safety Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 46.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (53.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (73.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 5.7 percentage points for two or more races students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 279 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · RW+8.9pp
21.4% vs 12.5% overall · n=126
Suspension · Black+5.0pp
10.5% vs 5.5% overall · n=57
Math · White−9.2pp
48.9% vs 58.1% overall · n=63
3 more gaps by subject
ELA · Two or More Races−5.7pp
73.3% vs 79.1% overall · n=15
ELA Exceeded · Filipino−11.8pp
26.7% vs 38.5% overall · n=15
Math Exceeded · Filipino−11.1pp
13.3% vs 24.5% overall · n=15

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income279 tested
ELA 77.1%·Math 53.0%· +46.3pp vs district
Hispanic226 tested
ELA 73.9%·Math 54.9%· +42.6pp vs district
White86 tested
ELA 83.7%·Math 53.5%· +26.4pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 2.0pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +2.4pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 59%Support 37%Other 3%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$87K
$2K above CA median
Median Home Value
$542K
$117K below CA median
Bachelor's+
20%
15pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
11.4 years avg experience
34 teachers · 18% first-year · 9% second-year
Teacher Credentials
75% fully credentialed
3.3% on intern/emergency permit

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
27.6%
↑ vs CA 17.3% · 61th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
68.1%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 72th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
-4.6pp
↓ vs CA +0.8pp · 53th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
12.5%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
5.5%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 45th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 59340%32%24%4%72%+24
Grade 612738%41%19%2%79%+32
Grade 712928%50%19%3%78%+30
Grade 812021%54%18%7%75%+29
Grade 117069%24%4%3%93%+46
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 59317%25%39%19%42%+7
Grade 612728%37%29%6%65%+30
Grade 712923%30%35%12%53%+20
Grade 812028%31%29%12%59%+27
Grade 117026%46%20%9%71%+48
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1128112%43%45%0%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged27977.1%+46+39
Hispanic/Latino22673.9%+43+35
White8683.7%+26+22
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Public Safety Academy ←—5727.6%68.1%−4.65.5%
Matt Garcia Career and College Academy1.9 mi233.6%20.1%+2.08.5%
Grange Middle1.6 mi224.2%16.0%+4.88.7%
Crystal Middle2.5 mi216.9%21.0%+2.97.7%
California average—4017.3%39.5%+0.84.2%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
78%57%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #195 → #214 → #160 → #173 → #291
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Public Safety Academy a good middle school?
Public Safety Academy has a Scope Score of 57 out of 100, placing it in the 83rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #291 statewide. 27.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 10.3 percentage points above the California average of 17.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Public Safety Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 68.1% of students at Public Safety Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 27.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 40.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 27.6% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 752 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Public Safety Academy rank in California?
Public Safety Academy ranks #291 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 83rd percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Public Safety Academy getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Public Safety Academy decreases by 4.6 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the middle Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Public Safety Academy?
12.5% of students at Public Safety Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 5.5%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Public Safety Academy compare to other schools in Fairfield?
Public Safety Academy scores 57/100 (83rd percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 745 students. Use the schools in Fairfield page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Public Safety Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Public Safety Academy in Fairfield, 77.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 30.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Public Safety Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 46.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (53.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (73.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 5.7 percentage points for two or more races students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 279 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.
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