The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Centennial Elementary School
Centennial Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade as part of the Flowing Wells Unified District in Tucson, a large desert city anchored by the University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The school sits in a residential area of the city, in a district that recently secured voter-approved funding for facilities and programs. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller share of white students and very small numbers from other racial and ethnic groups. That demographic profile reflects the surrounding neighborhood. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, nor were counts of students with disabilities or English learners, so a fuller picture of economic and support needs is not possible from the public data.
State assessment results from the most recent school year show that in English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through six ranged roughly from a quarter to two-fifths of students meeting the bar. In math, the pattern was similar, with proficiency rates generally in the range of a quarter to just over a third. However, math and science results for fifth grade were withheld by the state because the tested group was too small to report publicly, a common practice when student counts fall below a threshold that protects individual privacy. Overall, when combining all tested subjects and grades, the school’s proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the districts in Pima County. That is a soft spot a parent may want to look into further with the school, especially to understand how support is targeted and what trends look like in the grades where data is available. Multi-year trend data was only available for a single year, so it is not yet possible to see whether performance has been improving or declining.
The Flowing Wells district has made recent investments that affect the school environment. In late 2024, voters approved a bond measure for school renovations, technology upgrades, security improvements, and transportation, with the district stating it would not raise the property tax rate. That was preceded by a continuation of an existing budget override in 2022, which provides annual funding for teacher salaries, programs, and class size reduction. These measures suggest a community that has been willing to support the district financially, and they may translate into tangible resources at Centennial, though specific program offerings at the school were not reported.
The housing market around the school is moderate relative to the state and national benchmarks. Home values have seen a modest decline over the past year, while rents have edged up slightly. For a family considering the area, the typical mortgage payment and rent both fall within a range that is broadly in line with local incomes, though affordability depends on individual circumstances. Tucson itself offers a range of civic amenities, from the university and downtown core with its streetcar line to mountain parks and cultural institutions, though outside the central areas the city is largely automobile-dependent.
Centennial Elementary presents as a neighborhood school within a district that has shown recent investment but where academic proficiency on state tests has been below the middle of the pack among Pima County districts. The student body is diverse, with a substantial Hispanic majority. Families weighing this school may want to explore how the district’s override and bond funding are being used at the building level, and what academic support systems are in place for students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks. The lack of data on free lunch eligibility and special populations limits a full assessment of the school’s support context, but the available numbers point to an elementary school where a parent would benefit from a direct conversation with the principal about instruction and intervention.
See more original research from School Decision →