Harold W Smith School, Glendale AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Harold W Smith School

Harold W Smith School is a regular public school in Glendale, Arizona, serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the Glendale Elementary District, one of several school districts that cover this large suburban city bordering Phoenix. The school sits in an older residential part of Glendale, away from the newer entertainment and development zones near State Farm Stadium.

On Arizona’s state assessments, proficiency rates at Harold W Smith School were low. In math, roughly a quarter to a third of students scored proficient in grades three through five; results for grades six through eight were not publicly reported. In English language arts, proficiency rates were even lower, hovering around one in five students in several tested grades, with eighth grade the weakest at roughly one in six. Science proficiency in fifth grade was similar to the ELA pattern. When placed against other elementary and middle schools across Maricopa County, the school’s overall performance landed in the bottom quarter. Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Only one year of test data was available, so it is not possible to describe a trend, and for several grade levels the state suppressed results from public view, which often happens when a group is too small or when privacy thresholds apply.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller populations of Black, white, Asian, Native American, multiracial, and Pacific Islander students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not reported in the available data, nor were counts for English learners or students with disabilities. A parent may want to ask the school directly for this information and what supports are in place.

No information was provided about program offerings such as gifted education, art, music, or extracurricular activities. The school is not a charter school and does not carry a magnet designation, nor was Title I status listed. In short, it is a straightforward neighborhood school without any special academic theme or admissions criteria.

The housing market around the school is moderate. Home values in the area sit close to the national median, while rents are slightly below it. The broader city of Glendale offers a mix of historic downtown, suburban subdivisions, major retail, and large sports and entertainment venues. Several major employers, including Luke Air Force Base, Banner Health, and the school districts themselves, anchor the local economy. The city is growing at a modest pace, but this part of Glendale is established and not part of the newer development zones.

The district brief returned no information about recent bond measures, leadership changes, or strategic initiatives, so this narrative cannot characterize district-level priorities or investments.

Harold W Smith School serves a large, primarily Hispanic student body in a suburban setting. Its state assessment results are low compared to other schools in the county, and key details about economic need and special services are absent from the public record. Families considering this school would benefit from a visit, a conversation with staff about academic interventions and enrichment, and a clear picture of how the school supports English learners and students with disabilities.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 31% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 26% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 22% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 28% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 22% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 620%

School 20% · District 25% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 726%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 30% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 16% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

This schoolGlendale Elementary District (4271), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.