Gem Charter School, Inc. opened in 1997 and on average have 75 students enrolled in grades kindergarten though 6th. The school uses the Montessori curriculum which is very popular and very different than traditional school. For parents that have not been introduced to this type of curriculum should learn more prior to enrolling their child as some students that did not begin schooling with this curriculum may have difficulty adjusting at first.

Along with core subjects the Gem Charter School offers fun activities the students can participate in if they choose which includes chorus, band, ceramics, dance, computer arts, orchestra, and computer arts; along with sports such as basketball, yoga, soccer, and physical education classes. The school also has special programs and student clubs that students can enjoy like community service, science & technology, and debate.

Parents love the school and enjoy all the great activities and fund raisers the school plans yearly. On the other hand, some parents believe there are too many fund raisers and not enough extra curricular activities for students. Some parents would actually like to see more parent involvement but when it comes to the school, most responses are very positive. Parents explain the staff and teachers are very friendly, caring, and devoted to their students. The main concern has been in the recent years with staff changes. A few parents have voiced that the school is not what it once was and there have been issues with teachers belittling the students instead of nurturing.

Testing scores often show a bit more about the school. In Arizona, students in certain grades are required to take the AIMS series of tests. These tests measure the student’s ability to master core subjects compared with other students across the state in the same grade. Students at Gem Charter School participated in the exams. The tests provide the percentages of students at the school that passed or exceeded the standards of the exam as well as percentages of students across the state. The 3rd graders at the school did poorly in reading and math with only 42% passing in reading with the state at 76% and 25% in math with the state at 79%. The percentages of the other grades were not available at the time of this writing.

It would be in your best interest to thoroughly check out this school prior to enrolling your students. A few of the parent’s comments and the tests scores raise red flags that the school may not be run as well as the information provided by the school.

Gem Charter School, Inc.
1704 N. Center St.
Mesa, AZ 85201
480-833-2622
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