The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 21%.
Original Research by School Decision on Imagine Camelback Middle Inc. (89561)
Imagine Camelback Middle Inc. is a small, single-school district in Maricopa County serving only grades six through eight. Because the district does not operate a high school, there is no graduation rate to report. The district’s single school, Imagine Camelback Middle, is where all students in these grades attend. The student body is heavily Hispanic, with a substantial white and black presence, and small numbers of Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals and the shares of students receiving special education services or English learner supports were not reported in the available data.
On the 2024-25 state assessments, the district’s performance placed it in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency among Maricopa County’s districts. In English language arts, the proficiency rate hovered around the low fifth grade level across grades six, seven, and eight, with a slight uptick in eighth grade. Math proficiency across all tested grades was very low, and the number of students scoring proficient or above was suppressed for each grade, which likely reflects a combination of small cohort sizes and very few students reaching that bar. Science proficiency results for eighth graders were also suppressed, for similar reasons. While the state did report a two-year trend showing a modest increase in both English and math proficiency, both subjects remain well below the county median, and the number of data points is too thin to establish a pattern.
Chronic absenteeism is a major concern. The district’s rate of chronic absenteeism sits in the bottom quartile among Maricopa County’s districts, meaning a very high share of students miss a substantial number of school days. This is a soft spot that a parent or guardian would want to discuss with the school to understand the causes and what supports are in place.
Per-pupil spending is in the middle range, upper half of the county, so the district is not underfunded relative to its neighbors in that respect. However, the available data provides no information on course offerings, programs, staffing ratios, or disciplinary climate. The district’s website and recent public records yielded no parent-relevant changes or announcements.
This is a small, middle-grades-only public district operating in Maricopa County’s competitive school landscape. A parent considering it should expect very low test scores and a high rate of chronic absenteeism. The lack of economic or locale context makes it hard to say much about the surrounding community. The profile fits a family that values a small school setting and wants to engage directly with school leadership to understand the academic and attendance challenges. Anyone looking for strong academic outcomes on the state’s own measures would likely find the picture here concerning and should ask the school what specific interventions or supports are being used to raise achievement and attendance.
See more original research from School Decision →