Robert J.c. Rice Elementary School, Gilbert AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Robert J.c. Rice Elementary School

Robert J.C. Rice Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Gilbert, Arizona, as part of the Chandler Unified School District. Gilbert is a large, fast-growing suburban community southeast of Phoenix that has transformed from a farming town into a sprawling network of master-planned subdivisions, retail corridors, and medical campuses. The school sits within this suburban fabric, where single-family homes and wide arterial roads define the landscape and most families get around by car.

Academically, Rice Elementary performs well relative to other schools in Maricopa County. Its overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades lands in the top quartile among the county’s school districts, a strong showing for a neighborhood elementary. Looking at state assessment results grade by grade, third through fifth graders reach proficiency in math and English language arts at rates that are notably solid. In science, fifth graders also post a solid result. The pattern shifts in sixth grade, where proficiency rates in both math and ELA drop by a noticeable margin compared to earlier grades, with math seeing a steeper decline. This is a point a parent may want to explore further with the school, especially if considering how the school prepares students for middle school. The available data covers only one year of testing, so there is no trend to compare, but the grade-level pattern is clear.

The student body is predominantly White, with sizeable Asian and Hispanic populations and smaller shares of students who are Black, two or more races, American Indian, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Enrollment is large for an elementary school serving these grade levels, and the school is part of a district that employs a substantial number of local residents. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals is not available, nor are counts of students receiving special education services or English learner support. For a family weighing how well the school meets varied student needs, these missing pieces are worth raising directly with the school or district.

Gilbert has experienced explosive growth over recent decades, turning from a small agricultural hub into one of the Phoenix area’s largest suburbs. The housing market in the school’s zip code sits well above the national median, reflecting the high demand for homes in this master-planned community. Rents are also above national averages, and the area remains primarily car-dependent. The town’s Heritage District offers a walkable core with restaurants and civic buildings, but most of Gilbert is built for driving. The school itself serves a neighborhood within this expansive suburban setting.

The district search for recent parent-relevant changes did not turn up concrete new developments. That leaves the academic record and community context as the primary picture. For families looking for an elementary school with a strong academic footing in a high-growth suburban environment, Rice Elementary delivers proficiency rates that are notably solid through the upper elementary grades. The sixth-grade dip is the main soft spot in an otherwise strong profile, and the missing student support data means a proactive conversation with school staff would be wise.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 382%

School 82% · District 44% · ▲ 38 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 474%

School 74% · District 30% · ▲ 44 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 53% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 26% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 375%

School 75% · District 35% · ▲ 40 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 476%

School 76% · District 32% · ▲ 44 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 32% · ▲ 39 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 58% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Science

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 48% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

This schoolChandler Unified District #80 (4242), 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.