NP3 Middle School

Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Middle School (NP3 Middle) provides a small school environment where students are known individually by their teachers and staff. Our school focuses on high expectations, a college-culture, rigorous and analytical coursework, and opportunities to build meaningful relationships with others. NP3 Middle received the first charter authorization from Natomas Unified School District (NUSD) in 2009 joining NP3 High School and creating a 6-12 system. This was followed in 2016 with the addition of NP3 Elementary. NP3 now spans grades k-12, all on one campus. All three NP3 schools have been identified as high-performing schools and received a seven-year charter renewal by authorizer NUSD in June 2021. As a public charter school, families choose to send their students to NP3; however, there is no tuition charged or selective admissions. Being a charter school gives the school some freedom in developing its own academic policies and programs. It is, however, accountable for educational standards to Natomas Unified School District, the State of California, and the United States government.

NP3 Middle School’s student population has grown to just over 500 and reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Natomas Unified School District (NUSD) and Sacramento County. The goal of NP3 Middle is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in their education; to encourage their persistence and success in a rigorous academic curriculum and co-curricular program; to provide students with rigorous and interactive learning activities; and to foster a culture of learning that leads to a successful middle school experience.

The vision of the NP3 Schools is to inspire, cultivate, and support innovative educational excellence every day. NP3 values relationships, diversity, service learning, high levels of learning, collaborative culture, and student voice. The mission is to graduate college ready students who value diversity and intellectual engagement, and are dedicated to personal and civic responsibility.

NP3 High, Middle and Elementary Schools are all California Distinguished Schools. The State of California recognized NP3 Middle School in 2021 as a Distinguished School. Schools who are selected for this award are some of California’s most exemplary and inspiring public schools. Schools selected for the Distinguished School Award demonstrate significant gains in narrowing the achievement gap and exceptional student performance. NP3 is proud to be a 2020 Civic Learning Award of Distinction winner. NP3 was the only Northern California middle and high school to receive this award. This award recognized NP3 for its college preparatory curriculum, student governance, and commitment to civic engagement. All three NP3 schools were recognized by CORE Districts for having high individual student growth from year to year in English. NP3 Middle was honored to be recognized as a 2021 Lighthouse School by the Leader In Me Schools. Lighthouse Schools demonstrate exemplary elements of the Leader in Me core paradigms: “everyone can be a leader,” “everyone has genius,” “change starts with me,” “develop the whole person,” and “educators empower students to lead their own learning.” In July 2020, NP3 Middle received a six-year accreditation from WASC with a one-day mid-cycle visit that was completed in January of 2023.

What Makes NP3 Middle School Special:

- A focus on building strong relationships through Advisory

- Small class sizes and low student to counselor ratio

- Commitment to civic education and service learning

- Unique opportunity to continue high school at NP3 High

- Many clubs, arts, activities, leadership opportunities, and action teams for students to get involved in outside of the classroom