Paulo Freire Freedom School - Downtown

CITY Center for Collaborative Learning (85448)

www.paulofreireschool.org

Charter School 66 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

The Paulo Freire Freedom School (PFFS) - Downtown is a unique, small-scale middle school located in the heart of Tucson, Arizona. It is an independent charter school that operates under the umbrella of City Center for Collaborative Learning. The school is built upon the pedagogical philosophy of its namesake, Paulo Freire, emphasizing a curriculum centered on social justice, critical thinking, and the idea that education should empower students to be active, conscious participants in their democracy.

The school is best known for its commitment to "place-based" and project-based learning. Rather than relying on traditional rote memorization, students at PFFS engage in interdisciplinary projects that connect classroom studies to the local Tucson community. By utilizing the downtown urban environment as a living classroom, the school encourages students to solve real-world problems and develop a deep sense of civic responsibility. With a focus on small class sizes and a tight-knit community, PFFS aims to foster a supportive environment where student voice, collaboration, and academic inquiry are at the forefront of the educational experience.

Total Students

N/A

Full-Time Teachers

N/A

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Paulo Freire Freedom School - Downtown
Demographic	Student Count
White	27
Hispanic	30
Black	3
Two or More	4
American Indian	2

Hispanic
30 (45.5 %)
White
27 (40.9 %)
Two or More
4 (6.1 %)
Black
3 (4.5 %)
American Indian
2 (3.0 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	CITY Center for Collaborative Learning (85448)
Phone:	(520)352-0057
Website:	http://www.paulofreireschool.org
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	66
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	N/A
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	N/A
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes participating without using any Provision or the CEO
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 6 18

Grade 7 23

Grade 8 25