Original Research by School Decision on Excelencia School
Excelencia School is a regular public elementary and middle school in Phoenix, part of the Creighton Elementary District. It serves kindergarten through eighth grade. The school sits within a large, sprawling urban center that is among the fastest-growing cities in the country, with a history of agriculture shifting to a modern economy built on services, technology, tourism, and manufacturing.
The academic profile of Excelencia School is difficult to assess from the available data. For the 2024-25 school year, Arizona state assessment results in math, English language arts, and science were suppressed for every tested grade level. The state does not release proficiency rates when student group sizes are small or for other privacy-related reasons. A separate aggregated figure for the school’s overall proficiency across all grades and subjects was not available, so the standard comparison to other Maricopa County districts could not be made. The most recent single-year data that is reported shows English language arts proficiency in the low teens and math proficiency in the single digits. These are very low figures, and a parent may want to speak directly with school staff to understand the academic program, intervention strategies, and how student progress is monitored. Because Excellence serves only grades kindergarten through eight, there is no high school graduation rate to consider.
The school enrolls roughly 500 students. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a small but present Black population and even smaller shares of White, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and multiracial students. This demographic makeup shapes the peer environment. Information on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, special education identification, and English learner status was not reported, so it is not possible to describe the school’s support needs from the available data. Likewise, no data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access were included.
Program offerings at Excelencia School were not listed in the data made available, so there is no information on electives, enrichment, career and technical education pathways, or before- and after-school activities. The district brief did not surface any recent budget overrides, curriculum changes, bond measures, or other parent-relevant initiatives in the Creighton Elementary District.
The housing market surrounding the school reflects a large urban area with typical affordability pressures. Home values and rents in the zip code have seen modest declines in the past year. The city of Phoenix itself is car-oriented, with wide, gridded streets, and its major employers are concentrated in technology, manufacturing, tourism, and services. Downtown Phoenix is a recognized civic and commercial center, but the school’s specific location near McDowell Road is within a mixed-use residential and commercial corridor.
For a family considering Excelencia School, the biggest unknown is academic performance. The state-suppressed testing results and very low reported aggregate scores mean that the usual public metrics are not available to gauge student learning. A visit to the school, conversations with teachers and the principal, and a look at classroom instruction and student work would be essential to get a clear picture. The school serves a predominantly Hispanic, mid-sized student body from kindergarten through eighth grade in a fast-growing city, but beyond those basic contours, the public record offers little detail on programming, student supports, or recent district direction.
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