The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Burk Elementary School
Burk Elementary School serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Gilbert, Arizona, as part of the Gilbert Unified District. The school is a regular public elementary school located in a large, fast-growing suburb of Phoenix. Gilbert has transformed from an agricultural community into a sprawling, master-planned suburban city, and Burk’s neighborhood reflects that setting: single-family homes, commercial corridors, and wide arterial roads dominate the landscape.
The student body at Burk is diverse. The school enrolls a sizeable student population for an elementary school serving these grades. White students form the largest single group, roughly half of the enrollment, while Hispanic students make up a substantial share just below that. Smaller groups of students who identify as two or more races, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander round out the community. The school is not a Title I school, and specific data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available in the source material.
State testing results from the most recent school year provide a mixed picture of academic performance at Burk. In mathematics, proficiency rates across tested grades show a range, with the most promising result in fifth grade, where roughly half of students met the bar. In third, fourth, and sixth grades, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower, falling to about a third. In English language arts, the pattern was more encouraging, especially in the upper grades. Roughly half of fourth and fifth graders scored proficient, and sixth graders posted the strongest result at above that benchmark. Third graders, however, showed a weaker result. In science, tested in fifth grade, about a third of students were proficient.
Overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades places Burk below the midpoint when compared with all other districts in Maricopa County. This is a soft spot in the school’s profile. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it supports students who are not yet at the proficient level and whether the school’s curriculum and interventions vary by grade level in light of these results.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The district context for Burk is shaped by recent financial challenges. In 2023, Gilbert voters rejected a maintenance and operations budget override for the third consecutive election, and also turned down a bond request for school renovations, technology upgrades, and new construction. As a result, the district implemented budget reductions for the following school year, including eliminating some teaching positions through attrition and cutting discretionary budgets at individual schools. This means families should expect sustained pressure on class sizes and school-level resources. On the planning side, the district did adopt a new five-year strategic plan in 2022 focused on student success, safe schools, employee excellence, and family engagement, but the financial constraints are the more immediate factor.
Housing in the area around Burk is expensive. Home values sit well above the national median, and monthly mortgage costs outpace rents by a noticeable margin. Rents themselves are a substantial share of median household income, suggesting that owning a home here is a stretch for many households. The broader economy is stable, with unemployment and median income figures that track the national picture.
Gilbert is a car-dependent suburb with a small historic downtown called the Heritage District that offers some pedestrian amenities, but the overall feel is of residential subdivisions and strip malls. The town has been one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the country for decades, and that growth has slowed but continues. Major employers include the school district itself, healthcare networks, and defense and professional services firms.
For families, Burk Elementary offers an elementary program in a fast-growing suburban setting with a diverse student body. Academic results are uneven, with stronger performance in upper-grade English language arts and weaker results in mathematics and early-grade literacy. The district’s recent budget pressures are real and likely to affect school operations, so parents should inquire directly about class sizes, support staff, and enrichment opportunities at the school. The high cost of housing in the area is a factor for any family considering a move here.
See more original research from School Decision →