Bales Elementary School, Buckeye AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Bales Elementary School

Bales Elementary School is a regular public school in Buckeye, Arizona, serving students from preschool through eighth grade as part of the Buckeye Elementary District. The school covers a wide grade span, which can appeal to families who want their children in one building from early childhood through middle school. It is not a charter or magnet school, and no information was available about Title I status or specific program offerings.

Buckeye itself is a rapidly growing city, a mix of historic agricultural roots and sprawling master-planned suburban communities. The city has been one of the fastest-growing in the nation, and new housing developments continue to shape the area. The school sits in a car-dependent environment where daily life is oriented around automobile travel. The district is expanding to keep pace, with the recent opening of John S. McCain III Elementary School, a new K-8 building that adds capacity and may shift attendance boundaries over time. For families considering the area, the growth context means the school and district are likely to see continued enrollment changes.

The student body at Bales is diverse. The majority of students are Hispanic, with a substantial share of white students, a smaller but notable Black population, and relatively small numbers of students identifying as two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals was not available, nor was information on students with disabilities or English learners. These gaps mean a parent cannot assess from this data how the school serves economically disadvantaged or special-needs populations.

On state assessments, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were low across the tested grades. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency was in the minority at every grade level, with the lowest rates seen in the upper elementary and middle school years. In English language arts, proficiency was also modest, with a somewhat brighter spot in fourth grade where a larger minority of students scored proficient, but other grades saw lower results. Science proficiency, tested in fifth and eighth grades, was limited as well. When compared to other districts in Maricopa County, Bales Elementary’s overall academic performance falls in the bottom quarter. This is a soft spot; a parent may want to look into what academic supports and interventions the school offers, as well as how the school’s performance compares with other schools in the district.

Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also absent, so the picture of student attendance and engagement is incomplete.

The school’s setting in a fast-growing outer suburb means housing costs in the area are moderate relative to the broader Phoenix region, with home values and rents near the national average. The city’s economy is diversifying into logistics, manufacturing, and renewable energy, and the school district itself is one of the larger local employers.

Overall, Bales Elementary is a neighborhood school in a high-growth area, serving a diverse student body with a wide grade range. Its academic results are below the county average, and several key data points on student support and demographics are missing from the public record. Families considering this school would benefit from visiting, speaking with the principal about instruction and intervention approaches, and comparing with other options in the district.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 34% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 21% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 21% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 27% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 22% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 33% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 26% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 30% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 723%

School 23% · District 31% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 32% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 26% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 23% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

This schoolBuckeye Elementary District (4269), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.