John S Mccain Iii Elementary School, Buckeye AZ

Original Research by School Decision on John S Mccain Iii Elementary School

John S McCain III Elementary School is a regular public K-8 school in Buckeye, part of the Buckeye Elementary District. It is one of the newer schools in the district, opened to serve a rapidly growing area west of Phoenix. The school is not a charter or magnet, and it serves a range that runs from prekindergarten through eighth grade, meaning a family could send a child here from the start of elementary straight through middle school.

The most available measure of academic performance comes from the 2024-25 state assessments. Results show that proficiency rates are modest overall, and they vary noticeably by grade and subject. In math, the share of students meeting the state standard was lower in the middle grades and higher at the upper end of the tested range; in English language arts, the range was similar, with some grades posting a stronger showing than others. Science results are available for grades 5 and 8. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint relative to districts in Maricopa County. There is no multi-year trend data beyond a single year, so it is not possible to tell whether these results represent an improvement or decline. A parent looking at the numbers may want to discuss with the school what academic supports are in place, especially in the middle grades where proficiency measures are lowest.

The student body is moderately sized for a K-8 school. The largest share of students is Hispanic, with white students making up the next largest group, followed by Black, multiracial, and smaller numbers of American Indian, Asian, and Pacific Islander students. The school does not report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor the shares receiving special education services or English learner support. Those gaps mean a family cannot gauge the school’s economic or language learner profile from public data alone. Discipline, chronic absenteeism, and staffing data are also absent from available records.

Buckeye is a city in the midst of dramatic growth. It has been among the fastest-growing municipalities in the country, fueled by dozens of master-planned communities such as Verrado, Tartesso, and Sundance. The city still has a historic downtown along Monroe Avenue, but the built environment is overwhelmingly car-dependent, with large residential developments spread across a vast planning area. The economy is shifting from its agricultural roots in cotton and dairy toward logistics, renewable energy, and manufacturing. Major employers include state government, Walmart, the local school districts, and newer facilities such as a KORE Power battery plant and a Ross distribution center. The school itself is likely situated in one of these newer suburban areas, as the district brief notes it was built to absorb enrollment pressure from growth.

Housing in the area carries a value and monthly rent that are in line with the suburban Phoenix fringe. The national mortgage rate context and a moderate rent-to-income ratio suggest that owning versus renting is a notable financial decision here, as it is across much of the region.

The district context is straightforward: Buckeye Elementary District operates several schools, and McCain III is its newest. The school’s opening itself is a parent-relevant change, a signal that the district is trying to keep pace with population growth. No information was available about curriculum changes, referenda, or other district-wide shifts.

In summary, this is a new K-8 school in a fast-growing outer-suburban setting. The academic measures are mixed and on the lower side relative to the county. A family moving to one of Buckeye’s master-planned communities and looking for a neighborhood feeder school will find a recently built facility, but should expect to ask questions about academic support, especially in the middle grades, and should note that several key demographic and school-environment data points are not publicly reported.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 33% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 34% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 21% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 617%

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

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 715%

School 15% · District 21% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 27% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 22% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 33% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 26% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 616%

School 16% · District 30% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 726%

School 26% · District 31% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 32% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Science

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 26% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 23% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 5 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.