The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in Math. The lowest is 32% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Butterfield Elementary School
Butterfield Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the Marana Unified District, located in the northwestern part of Tucson. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and sits within a city that is Arizona’s second largest, a desert metropolis anchored by the University of Arizona, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and a growing technology sector. The school’s ZIP code area has home values that run below the statewide typical level, and rents are moderate, reflecting the broader affordability spectrum across the Tucson region.
State testing results are available for grades three through six in math and English language arts, and for fifth grade in science. Across the tested grades, math proficiency is higher than English language arts, with math rates ranging from a lower point in third grade to a stronger showing in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. English language arts proficiency is lower in the early tested grades and climbs by sixth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade lands near the midpoint of the tested subjects. The overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades positions the school above the midpoint among districts in Pima County. Only a single year of assessment data is available for this comparison, so no trend line can be drawn yet.
The student body is just under five hundred children, with roughly equal proportions of Hispanic and white students, a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races, and very small numbers of Asian, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Data on free or reduced-price meal eligibility was not reported, nor were counts of students with individualized education plans or English learner status. Those gaps mean a parent cannot gauge the level of economic or special-education support from the available information and may want to inquire directly with the school.
Because Butterfield is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and metrics like chronic absenteeism were also not available in the data. The school’s grade range means students will feed into a district middle school and then Marana high schools, but specific feeder patterns are not detailed here.
The parent district, Marana Unified, publicly reports two standing features that matter to families with young children. It offers free, full-day kindergarten district-wide, a cost-saving program that also aligns with full-day work schedules. It also operates an online distance learning option alongside traditional in-person schooling, giving families a built-in alternative instructional model without leaving the district.
Tucson itself provides a broad cultural and economic backdrop. The university campus is adjacent to downtown, connected by a streetcar line, and the city has invested in downtown revitalization with restaurants, retail, and mixed-use development. The economy is diverse, anchored by the university, the air force base, and optics and technology industries. The city’s geographic footprint is large and suburban in character outside the core, so most families will rely on driving for daily errands and school drop-offs. Nearby outdoor assets include mountain parks and Saguaro National Park.
For a family weighing Butterfield Elementary, the academic picture shows math as a relative strength and English language arts as an area where the school is working to improve. The overall proficiency level is around the typical mark among Pima County districts, not an outlier in either direction. The school’s size is manageable, and the district adds the value of full-day kindergarten and a virtual option. Missing pieces of data around economic need and special education mean that a parent with a child who might qualify for those services should ask the school directly what support is available. The housing market in the area is more affordable than the state average, which may be a practical consideration for families moving to Tucson’s northwest side.
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