Belen Soto Elementary School, Goodyear AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Belen Soto Elementary School

Belen Soto Elementary School is a regular public school in Goodyear serving students from preschool through eighth grade. It sits within the Litchfield Elementary District, in a city that is one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Goodyear is car-dependent and built around large master-planned communities, with the new City Hall complex and Estrella Mountain Regional Park as civic anchors; Interstate 10 is the primary corridor. The school itself is located in the southwestern part of the city, with a sizable enrollment for a K-8 campus.

The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with a roughly equal split between White students and Hispanic students, along with smaller shares of students who are Black, Asian, or of two or more races. Data on economic disadvantage, special education enrollment, and English learner status was not available for this narrative; a parent may want to ask the school about these figures directly, as they can affect how a child experiences the academic program and what supports are in place.

Academically, Belen Soto Elementary shows a mixed picture when looked at grade by grade. In English language arts, proficiency rates range from below half of students in third grade to just over two-thirds in fourth, sixth, and eighth grades. In math, the pattern is similar: third and sixth grades are weaker points, while fourth grade stands out as a stronger year. Science results are available for fifth and eighth grades; the share of students reaching proficiency in fifth grade is notably lower than in eighth grade. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint when compared with other districts in Maricopa County, a broad metropolitan area with many school systems. That relative strength is meaningful, but the variation within the school means some grade levels or subjects are pulling harder than others.

Because Belen Soto serves only up to eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. That is simply a consequence of the grade band, not a missing indicator of performance. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism and discipline were not available.

The school is part of the Litchfield Elementary District, and publicly reported materials show no major recent changes to district operations or policies that would alter the day-to-day experience for families. Goodyear itself continues to grow rapidly; its population is rising and new residential developments are adding capacity in the area. Housing values in the school’s ZIP code are above the national median, and rents are also elevated, which puts homeownership out of reach for many households given typical incomes in the region. The ratio of home price to income is high, and renting is a more affordable option than buying at current mortgage rates.

For a family considering Belen Soto Elementary, the school offers a pre-K through eighth grade continuity that avoids a middle school transition for several years. The academic record has clear bright spots, particularly in upper-elementary math and middle-grades English, alongside grades where mastery levels are lower and worth investigating further. The rapid growth of Goodyear means the school and its district may face enrollment pressures and facility needs in the coming years, but the community’s expansion also brings new resources and tax base. The absence of data on several support-program populations is a gap; a parent with a child who may need additional services should seek that information directly from the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 38% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 51% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 53% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 32% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 38% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 34% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 39% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 469%

School 69% · District 53% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 48% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 49% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 759%

School 59% · District 53% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 55% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 39% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 40% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

This schoolLitchfield Elementary District (4281), 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.