The reported proficiency rate for Math is 35%.
Original Research by School Decision on Fort Thomas Elementary School
Fort Thomas Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in a very small, unincorporated rural community in Graham County’s upper Gila Valley. The town of Fort Thomas has a frontier history rooted in a military outpost and later a railroad halt, but today it is a quiet, low-density agricultural settlement with no traditional downtown core. The school sits along US-70, the main highway, and together with the district’s high school serves as the community’s primary civic and educational anchor. For families considering this school, the rural setting and tight-knit character are defining features. The school itself is small, and its enrollment is composed overwhelmingly of Native American students, with a handful of white and Hispanic students as well. Data on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status were not available in the reporting used here, so a parent looking for that information would want to contact the school directly.
The most recent state assessment results provide a partial picture of academic performance. Proficiency rates in math were reported for third and fourth graders, while results for fifth and sixth graders in math were suppressed due to small student counts, a common occurrence in a school this size. In English language arts and in science, all grade-level results were suppressed for the same reason. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages the rates that could be reported, places it above the midpoint among districts in Graham County. That comparison should be read with some caution, because it is based on only a few tested grade-subject combinations rather than a full set of scores. Trend data is limited to a single year, so there is no basis for describing improvement or decline over time. The school serves only elementary grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
Because the school is part of the Fort Thomas Unified District, students move on to Fort Thomas High School after sixth grade. No major parent-relevant changes were found in recent public reports about the district. Program offerings at the elementary level were not included in the available data, so this narrative cannot describe any specialized courses, extracurriculars, or support services the school may provide. A parent who wants to know about art, music, physical education, before- or after-school care, or academic interventions will need to ask the school directly.
The community context is rural and stable. Fort Thomas shows very slow population growth, with no sign of new housing developments or commercial expansion. The local economy is built around agriculture, and the school district itself is a notable employer. Everyday life centers on the highway corridor; for regional amenities like shopping, medical services, and entertainment, residents typically drive to nearby Safford. The school is a central institution in a place where there are few others.
For a family, the main takeaway is this: Fort Thomas Elementary is a small, rural school with a predominantly Native American student body, where state test results are available for only a handful of grades and overall proficiency sits in the middle of the county’s range. The lack of trend data and suppressed results make it difficult to gauge academic momentum from this evidence alone. The setting offers a close-knit, low-density environment, but with limited local amenities and few program details available in public records. A parent considering this school would likely want to visit, ask about instruction and student supports, and confirm that the school’s offerings align with their child’s needs.
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