The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pat Tillman Middle School
PatTillman Middle School is a regular public school in Phoenix, part of the Balsz Elementary District. It is named for the former Arizona Cardinals player and Army Ranger, and it serves students in a middle school grade band. While the school’s official grade span runs from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, enrollment data shows that all of its roughly six hundred students are in grades six, seven, and eight, so it functions as a dedicated middle school. The school is located in east-central Phoenix, a large, sprawling urban city that has experienced fast population growth and is a major hub for services, technology, and transportation in the Mountain West region.
State testing results for the 2024–25 school year place Pat Tillman Middle School in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency relative to districts in Maricopa County. In English language arts, about a fifth of students scored proficient in grades seven and eight, and a slightly smaller share in grade six. In math, the reported grade six proficiency rate was below one in ten; results for grades seven and eight were suppressed, meaning the state did not release them, often due to very small counts or to protect student privacy. In eighth-grade science, roughly one in seven students met the proficiency bar. Because the school only serves middle grades, a four-year graduation rate does not apply, and chronic absenteeism data was not available in the record.
The student body is diverse and heavily concentrated among a few racial and ethnic groups. A substantial majority of students are Hispanic, roughly one in five is Black, a small but notable share are American Indian or Alaska Native, and the remainder includes small numbers of White, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial students. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not reported here, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about those support populations.
Housing in the area reflects the broader Phoenix metro: home values sit near the national median, though the fast-growing city has seen prices rise over the long term. Rents are also in line with typical costs in a large Sun Belt city, and the local economy is driven by high-technology manufacturing, tourism, and services anchored by Sky Harbor International Airport. No recent district-level changes or strategic initiatives were found in public records, so it is unclear whether the district has introduced new programs or facility improvements in the near term.
The picture that emerges is of a middle school in a large urban district where standard academic outcomes, as measured by state assessments, are well below the county average. For a family, this means that if strong absolute test scores are a priority, Pat Tillman Middle School does not deliver that on its own. However, the limited data available—no information on course offerings, extracurriculars, discipline, or staffing—makes it hard to assess what supports or programs the school does offer beyond the tested curriculum. A parent considering this school would be well served to visit, ask about academic interventions, English learner supports, and enrichment opportunities, and compare the experience with other options in the Phoenix area. The school serves a densely populated, diverse urban corridor, and for families who value that community context, it may be worth investigating further with the school directly.
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