The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Science. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dr. Charles A. Bejarano Elementary School
Dr. Charles A. Bejarano Elementary School is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through third grade in Miami, Arizona, part of the Miami Unified District. It is the only school in the district that covers these early grades, and because it stops at third grade, there are no graduation rate or high school outcome measures for this campus. The school sits in a small historic copper mining town in Gila County, surrounded on three sides by the Tonto National Forest. Miami has a compact, partially renovated downtown and an economy dominated by Freeport-McMoRan’s mining and smelting operations. The town has experienced population decline, and housing values are modest relative to state benchmarks.
The student body is small, serving roughly that range typical of a primary school in a rural district. The majority of students are Hispanic, with a substantial white population and small shares of American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals was not reported, nor were counts of students with disabilities or English learners. A family looking at this school may want to ask the district for those figures directly, as they are important for understanding the level of support services.
State testing results are available only from the 2018–19 school year, the most recent reported period. In math, roughly one in five third graders scored proficient or above; in English language arts, roughly one in four did. These are modest attainment rates. However, when placed against other districts in Gila County, the school’s overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint, meaning it performs somewhat better than several neighboring districts in the county. Science testing data is from 2012–13 for fourth graders and is too old to be a useful indicator of current instruction. No trend data is available, so it is not possible to say whether performance has improved or declined.
The school’s district has made facility upgrades in recent years, including new roofing and HVAC systems funded through capital and federal emergency relief dollars, which can improve the learning environment. The district also operates a virtual program for grades K–12, giving families an alternative to in-person instruction if they want it.
Because Dr. Charles A. Bejarano Elementary serves only pre-K through third grade, its academic picture is limited to foundational early-elementary skills. Parents whose children attend here will need to plan for a transition to another school for fourth grade, likely within the same district. The school is not a charter or magnet and operates as a traditional neighborhood school. The community context is a small, economically steady but declining mining town with limited housing growth. For families who value a small, rural early primary setting and are comfortable with the modest proficiency rates, this school fits that profile. Anyone wanting a fuller picture of student support services or more recent test results should follow up with the school directly, as several data fields were not available in the records reviewed.
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