The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 40% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Combs Traditional Academy
Combs Traditional Academy is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade regular public school in the J O Combs Unified School District, serving a residential section of San Tan Valley in Pinal County. The school uses the “traditional” label, which in Arizona often signals a structured, back-to-basics approach, though the data does not specify curricular details. The student body is small, serving about that size for a K-6 school, and is composed largely of White and Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Black, Asian, multiracial, and Native American students. Free-or-reduced-price meal eligibility and special education counts were not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students receiving support.
State testing results for the 2024-25 school year show a mixed picture. In third-grade math and English language arts, slightly fewer than half of students scored proficient. Fourth-grade math scores were suppressed due to small group size, and fourth-grade ELA showed a similar pattern to third. Fifth-grade math and ELA were in the mid-range, while fifth-grade science proficiency was about in line with the other subjects. Sixth-grade results in both subjects were also suppressed. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Pinal County. That is a genuine relative strength — the school performs above the typical Pinal County school in aggregate. However, absolute proficiency rates are moderate, and a majority of students in most tested grades did not reach the proficient threshold. Families should weigh this against their own expectations and compare with other schools they are considering.
Because Combs Traditional Academy does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school also lacks published chronic absenteeism or discipline data, so the full picture of student attendance and climate is incomplete.
San Tan Valley is a fast-growing, car-dependent bedroom community east of Phoenix. It remains an unincorporated census-designated place, though voters approved an incorporation measure in 2025, signaling a shift toward municipal governance. The area’s housing values have seen a slight tempering recently, but remain generally in line with the state average. The community has no downtown or traditional walkable core; schools, parks, and retail are distributed along arterial roads. Publicly reported context notes that the J O Combs district approved a budget override in late 2024 to support teacher pay, special education, arts, music, PE, and class size management, and the district adopted a five-year strategic plan with pillars on student achievement, culture, climate, operations, and community engagement. These district-level priorities may shape what families experience at Combs Traditional Academy.
The school’s combination of a small, locally focused elementary program, moderate but above-county-average test scores, and the growing suburban setting makes it one to consider for families who value a traditional academic structure and are comfortable with the area’s sprawl and commute-dependent lifestyle. Those seeking very strong absolute proficiency, extensive program offerings, or a walkable school community may want to look further into how this school compares with other options in the region.
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