Chaparral Elementary School, Gilbert AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Chaparral Elementary School

Chaparral Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through sixth grade in Gilbert, part of the Higley Unified School District. The school is one of the larger elementary campuses in the area, and its grade span means families will need to plan for a transition to a middle school for seventh and eighth grades. Because the school does not serve grades that take high school exit exams, there is no graduation rate to report here.

Gilbert is a large, fast-growing suburb southeast of Phoenix. It was once an agricultural town known as the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World," but has transformed over recent decades into a major master-planned suburban community. Most residents get around by car, and the built environment is dominated by single-family subdivisions, strip malls, and wide arterial roads. The Heritage District along Gilbert Road provides a small historic downtown with restaurants, murals, and civic buildings, but the overall feel is suburban rather than urban. The town has seen explosive population growth over the past several decades, and while the pace has slowed, Gilbert continues to add residents. The two largest employers are the two school districts that serve the town: Gilbert Public Schools and Higley Unified School District, followed by healthcare systems and major retailers.

Academically, Chaparral's state assessment results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through six landed at a level that places the school's overall performance above the midpoint among the districts in Maricopa County. Math proficiency rates were lower across the same grade levels. In science, which is tested only in fifth grade, the share of students reaching proficiency was below half. A parent looking at these results may want to ask the school about its approach to math instruction and how it supports students who are not yet meeting the proficiency benchmark.

The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Hispanic population and smaller shares of students who are two or more races, Black, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available in the data, nor were counts of students with disabilities or English learners. A family considering the school may want to ask about these student support services directly.

The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and is part of the Higley Unified School District. No information about program offerings such as gifted education, arts, or specialized academic tracks was provided in the data.

The housing context in the area around the school reflects the broader Gilbert housing market. Home values are above the state benchmark, and rents are similarly elevated relative to the national average. The estimated monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home in the area is higher than the typical rent, which means buying is more expensive than renting at current interest rates. The national unemployment rate was modest at the time of the data, and real median household income has been on an upward trend in recent years. For a family moving into the area, this is a relatively expensive part of the Phoenix metro, and the school serves a community where housing costs are a meaningful factor.

Data on chronic absenteeism and discipline were not available, so it is not possible to speak to school climate from the provided information. A parent interested in these aspects of the school experience would need to follow up with the school or district directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 60% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 62% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 58% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 58% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 59% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 67% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 58% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 64% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 53% · ▼ 16 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolHigley Unified School District (4248), 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.