BASIS Phoenix Central

201 East Indianola Avenue

School District

Basis Charter Schools INC. (92349)
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

charter

School Map for Basis Charter Schools INC. (92349)

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 03, 2024

Having been at Basis Phoenix Central for 3 years, I’ve seen a lot of positive changes and improvements. My child started there in kindergarten and we have found it to be a caring and nurturing environment. The coursework is hard but not unreasonably so. He had about a half hour of homework in kindergarten and now has about 30-40 minutes 4 days a week in second grade. The course offerings are uniquely varied, with everything from Mandarin to martial arts to drama. And because the curriculum is accelerated it’s really encouraging to see how quickly he’s learning essentials like reading and math.
Submitted by parent on December 17, 2022

First off, the Basis program is not for everyone. But for children who thrive on structure and academic challenge, this school is great. The range of subjects - from the start - is engaging and perfect with kids with various interests. The after school clubs go even further to offer fun and educational experiences.
Submitted by other on October 03, 2022

We made the decision to have my child attend a Basis school, so decision was made that our child would attend Basis Central. For the last several years before this year it was an awesome environment for kids and parents. The true basis curriculum was followed so that every child in the school had a chance to succeed. The curriculum made kids work for grades and teachers taught kids not just do what is happening this year.Now we come to this year and the school has a very progressive attitude that wont allow for the growth of kids, classrooms out of control (what teacher certifications ), the school has teachers walking around in sloppy clothes (unprofessional),the kids are made to learn pronouns ( why do they need to learn this in school ?) The fact parents needed to sign a contract giving permission for teachings that mirrored CRT. This school has become maybe one step from a poorly run public school. I truly believe Basis is a wonderful curriculum and approach to teaching young minds but this school is just the opposite a disgrace to the BASIS name. I would never recommend Basis central!!!!!!!!!! They have no control of kids because behavior problems are not dealt with in an appropriate manner. So many teachers left this school last year and who knows the certifications of the new teachers.
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2022

NOT THIS BASIS!!! This use to be a great school. It is horrible. They preach a restorative discipline versus punitive, yet children are asked to raise their hand and then ridiculed in front of the class. Children dose others with over the counter meds and no call from administration yet local law enforcement was called.Sexual harassment and victim is inconvenienced and moved to back of the room or different seat. Out of control classrooms, children told they are an embarrassment. High rate of teacher turnover recently. Restorative discipline results in assigned seating during lunch. Loss of locker privileges because they are not resourceful with time, whose responsibility is it to maintain control and guide children when parents are not present. Administration will not contact parents but will stand out front and lecture your child when you get them to school late as if it’s truly their fault and they have other means of arriving to school within their control. When you try to talk to most of administration, Dean or Head of school they don’t feel it’s necessary to answer your questions regarding any situation that involved your child only restate school policy and if you use one curse word, the call ends. But other children are using sexual language and offensive language towards your child and no one contacted you. They do not want to hear anything you have to say or listen when you are allowed to speak. It is not the school it once was and I recommend any other Basis just not this one. It was a great school and so sad to see what it has become, it’s unbelievable, Education and Environment are not at all positive or encouraging. There has been one person that has listened and is a positive light in administration, Head of Student Affairs. I would steer clear of this School! There are great staff, front office, IT, Health Coordinator. Concerning after 2 years of COVID and 2 months into school year main subject classrooms have no control or positive learning environment.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2022

Basis Central Phoenix is providing my child with an education far superior to what he received at our neighborhood public school. But there are trade-offs and it is a rigorous curriculum. The first few years of elementary school establish the foundation for what your child needs to be successful in middle and high school and later on in life, and Basis does a great job in this area! That said, it's easy to see why Basis, Great Hearts and other public charter schools simply aren't the solution for many families. Lack of school transportation, no subsidized meal program, near daily home work that requires parents to be home and involved (and confident they have the knowledge to answer questions/provide support), isn't feasible for most low-income, working families. I wish this wasn't the case. I can' speak to the quality of the special education services as my child does not receive those services, but the Basis model does have ways to quickly identify struggling students and put supports in place to help them. Basis Central Phoenix has an arts-enhanced curriculum that is awesome! The diversity of classes keeps my son engaged and there are plenty of after-school activities that are great for K-5 kids. The school encourages even the youngest students to be independent and take responsibility for their learning, and there are a variety of ways the school/teachers communicate with parents. The school and leadership also offer families many opportunities to share concerns, ask questions, offer feedback, etc. I believe that if you set high expectations for your child they can and will rise to meet them and Basis shares this philosophy, which is why it's the right school for my son.
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2022

The academic rigor and expectations of this school are what first interested me. I will say the curriculum is enriching. I have had experience with three teachers now. Mr. Grossman is awesome. However I didn’t have a great experience with the others. They definitely lack on communication. Also when it’s communicated the professionalism was not the best. In my opinion the staff is I’ll equipped to address academic intervention. I feel if your kid is not performing, then they are not getting adequate intervention. Im assuming kids are getting Tier 2 (small group instruction). The enrichment is great. Academic success is only celebrated by numbers, not skill. That doesn’t sit well with me.The biggest fault of this school is the absolute inappropriate rudeness of the staff. They are just cold. I experienced the Head of School shaming children loudly and aggressively for being late. There is a disregard for children emotional health. If you are a parent with a child with social emotional needs, I strongly encourage you to look elsewhere. Staff is rude and cold. Kids need to feel welcomed regardless of circumstances.If you are child has academic needs I encourage you to go elsewhere. This place is great for the kids who are at or above grade level. Not for kids who need that intervention educator academically or emotionally.
Submitted by other on August 30, 2022

As a previous Basis Phoenix Central student, this school is weird. The school itself is Ok, with the school being focused on only academics. Wanna do sports? Go to a different school. The school's only sports are non-competitive and you play against other students in the same club. The school is very hard. If you want to bring your child to this school, make sure they start early. Unless they went to another BASIS school or some sort of super gifted school, bringing your child in 5th grade as a new student will pretty much be a nightmare for them. With hours of homework each night, and the curriculum being really hard (In 5th grade I did 7th and 8th grade level work. We literally used a textbook meant for 7th and 8th graders). The school also bullies you out, if you have anything lower than an 85. I started off well, but the work got harder and i fell off. I started to get C's and D's, and the school basically bullied me out. They basically said I wasn't good enough for the school. It was hard to hear the news, but I recovered. I went to a Madison district school right after (MTA), which was easier and the homework load was less. The teachers were 1000x better than the BASIS teachers, and taught better. Especially Mr. Williams (John Williams), who is the best Social Studies teacher to ever exist. He teaches students very well, and is amazing. I recommend bringing your student here instead of BASIS. Anyways, I graduated from MTA happy, since I didn't go through hell like at Basis. Even though people would think that MTA is worse than Basis, since its an easier public school, but I would disagree. I graduated with many many friends, in great sports clubs which are actually competitive, and with better knowledge. I am now a Freshman at Brophy College Preparatory, and I am in numerous Honors classes, as well as an AP class. All in all, Basis is overrated and not worth the torment your child will go through. It will ruin their childhood if they are not ready, and will give them nothing of value other than education, which sounds weird. Most of my friends from basis did not learn anything about society, or to be outgoing. Their IQ may have increased, but their EQ definitely didn't. It won't prepare them for the real world, where being social and outgoing is the best thing. All in all, Basis sucks. A public district school worked out really well, and I am now in one of the most prestigious schools in Arizona. Don't put your child through the torture of Basis.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2022

To start, I’m not here to complain about the school because of things that happened to my kids since kids are kids and things happen. While not a perfect school, the education is top notch! Do I want to have to provide additional daily training with my kids after school, yes. Do I want to? No. I’d rather do something else for myself? Duh. But, I love them and want a top notch education that’s free. So, yeah. Duh. It’s great if you want your kids to be super smart and give them an educational leg-up.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2021

My daughter will be attending next year, going into first grade. I've made several trips to the school to meet the teaching staff and observe classes and I am so excited to join next year. All of the teachers seemed to genuinely enjoy working there and expressed to me that they feel supported in their important roles as educators. The dance program and fine arts look really fun for kids that are artistically inclined.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2019

The Head of School treats the children as if they are adults. The school in itself is amazing, the curriculum is great, but the leadership is awful, more than 200 students left when this head of school took over. They need new leadership or this school will not thrive.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2018

I would rate this school poor. I'm not sure it's representative of all BASIS schools.
Submitted by parent on July 24, 2018

Horrible. Beware. This campus is infested with mosquitos since part of it is underground. We would send pictures to the principal weekly of bites. Kids would wear pants to school to avoid bites. Infested with lice. Gross place.
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2018

Basis School System has been very successful in Ensbling students realize their untapped potential. Well-rounded students with an idea on application of each concept is clearly evident.
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2018

Great structure academically but poor leadership and draconian methods of conflict resolution. Will be transferring my kid to a different BASIS for next year.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2017

Don't walk away from this school, run away from this school. It is a nightmare!
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2016

A tale of two schools. On the one hand, the school is outstanding in academics, albeit it puts a lot of pressure on parents. There is a great deal of homework for the kiddos but this isn't mindless homework. They are learning to think. Subject Matter Teachers are amazing and especially love the concept of the Learning Expert Teacher to help kids learn how to learn in the lower grades. Unfortunately, all of that good is overshadowed by administrative staff that are non-educators and terrible facilities. First off, the physical building seems too small for the number of kids going to the school (pick up and drop off is a nightmare) and the school has NO PLAYGROUND. If your kids are like mine and need to run around and burn off energy this presents a HUGE problem. The small area (bottom floor parking lot converted into "gym") is just not enough space. However, the largest problem is that the folks actually running the school don't seem to really understand child development. Instead of teaching children how to problem-solve they punish, for normal behaviors. There seems to be no level of accountability, too many "directors". Also, simple things like requesting that the school take care of the mosquitoes in the boys bathroom are not taken care of. You are passed around between many of the "directors" until you are finally told to spray your child before school. In the end, the school wasn't the right fit for our son who is well-behaved and on the honor roll but is also really athletic and social. I think Basis has more work to do to teach the "whole" child. The "All American" kid just doesn't seem to fit in. I can understand why the school is often criticized for "weeding" out kids even if it isn't intentional. It seems like it is more geared to the mild-mannered, quiet child than the outgoing kids. They take public funds so this needs to be addressed.
Submitted by parent on November 27, 2016

My daughter likes school, is challenged and had good after care.
Submitted by parent on July 31, 2016

If your child has a learning disability or does not perform stellar on the comprehensive tests, the admin will bully your family out of the school. My daughter was given the boot her second year, a week before school started. She did well in the classes and got A's B's and C's for the grading period with a 3.0 GPA but failed the comp tests terribly. Its company policy is all I kept hearing. If your child hates test and isn't a self-driven, over-achiever then this isn't the school for them. If you like to see your kid stress out over 4 hours of homework every night, test scores and scholarships for your kid in 7th grade is super important to you. This is the school for you. If you don't want your kid to have a hot school lunch, or enjoy extracurricular activities, and a music concert in the parking lot- this is the school for you! If your kid needs medical support as part of their IEP or 504 plan - don't take your kid here. There's no nurse. Perfect students with perfect tests scores only. This is a corporate ran school, for profit. (Research the company and find out their sneaky tricks to make money off their non-profit)They do not have your child's best interest in mind.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2016

Basis Phoenix Central is the best school ever, education is great, good teachers, great curriculum.Our son loves the school and the teachers too.
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2016

Great focus on teaching and individual focus on students. The concept of senior/junior teacher per class is working very good.