The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Settlers Point Elementary
Settlers Point Elementary is a regular public school in Gilbert, serving students from prekindergarten through sixth grade as part of the Gilbert Unified District. Gilbert is a large, primarily residential suburb of Phoenix that has transformed from an agricultural town into a fast-growing, master-planned community. The town’s Heritage District offers some walkable, pedestrian-oriented amenities, but the overall texture is suburban, with single-family housing subdivisions and wide arterial roads where most people get around by car. Gilbert Public Schools is one of the town’s major employers, alongside large health care systems and a defense contractor, anchoring the local economy.
The school’s student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller representations of students who identify as two or more races, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Black. The data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, nor were counts of students receiving special education services or English learner support, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports. Grade-level enrollment is uneven, with fourth grade having the largest class and kindergarten the smallest among the elementary grades; the preschool program serves a modest number of children.
On state assessments, Settlers Point’s academic picture shifts noticeably by grade. In English language arts, fourth grade stands out with a strong proficiency rate. Sixth grade and third grade also show solid results in that subject. Fifth grade, however, drops considerably in both reading and math, and the downward trend in math across the upper grades is the most pronounced pattern in the data. Math proficiency in fifth and sixth grades is much weaker than in the lower elementary grades, and science proficiency, tested in fifth grade, is similarly soft. When compared across all districts in Maricopa County on an overall proficiency index, Settlers Point places above the midpoint, meaning its composite performance is better than the typical district in a very large cohort. That aggregate figure, however, masks the sharp grade-level decline in math and science that a parent would want to explore further with the school.
Because Settlers Point serves only through sixth grade, graduation rate data is not applicable. Chronic absenteeism rates were not available in the data provided.
The district context matters here. Gilbert Public Schools has faced repeated failures of its maintenance and operations budget override at the ballot box, most recently in November 2023, and voters also rejected a bond request for facility improvements and technology in the same election. As a result, the district has been operating without an override for several years, and it implemented budget reductions for the 2024-2025 school year that included eliminating some teaching positions through attrition and cutting discretionary budgets at school sites. These ongoing financial constraints mean that school-level resources and class sizes may feel pressure that families should be aware of. The district has a five-year strategic plan focused on student success, safe schools, employee excellence, and family and community engagement, but that plan does not erase the real, recurring funding challenges.
For a parent considering this school, the housing market in Gilbert is expensive relative to national benchmarks, and home values have seen a slight decline recently. Rents are also high, and the cost of renting is below that of a mortgage for a typical home, reflecting the general affordability challenge in the Phoenix metro area. The neighborhood around Settlers Point is a settled, suburban area of Gilbert, and the school draws from that residential base.
This is a school with clear academic bright spots in early elementary English and in fourth-grade reading, but with a concerning drop-off in upper-grade math and science that warrants a direct conversation with the principal or instructional staff about curriculum and support in those years. The financial context of the district adds a layer of uncertainty about program stability that a family moving into the area should weigh.
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