The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Clarendon School
Clarendon School serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade as a regular public school in the Osborn Elementary District, located in a residential area of Phoenix. The school building itself sits on a tree-lined street in a central Phoenix neighborhood that blends older single-family homes with multi-family housing. Phoenix as a whole is a large, fast-growing urban center with a diversified economy built around technology, manufacturing, tourism, and services. Families living near Clarendon are part of a city that is the largest by area in the state and one of the fastest-growing in the nation.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, White, and multiracial students, and modest numbers of Asian and American Indian students. Current enrollment data shows the bulk of students in grades four through six, with a very small group in seventh grade and no students recorded in the younger elementary grades, despite the school’s stated grade span. This unusual grade distribution may reflect how the school organizes its programs or how data is reported, and a parent would want to ask the school directly about its actual grade offerings for the coming year.
Academically, Clarendon’s state test results for the most recent year place overall proficiency across math, English language arts, and science below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Maricopa County. In math, just over a quarter of tested students met proficiency in the fourth and sixth grades, and about a fifth did in fifth grade. In English language arts, roughly a third of fourth graders and about a quarter of fifth and sixth graders met the bar. Fifth-grade science results show about a fifth of students proficient. These are soft spots, and a parent may want to talk with the school about how it supports students who are not yet at grade level, especially given the district’s recent fiscal challenge.
That challenge is a voter-rejected budget override continuation in late 2024. The override had previously been approved years earlier, and its failure means phased funding reductions over three years. Per Arizona law, the district will see the override amount cut by a third each year until gone. This will likely affect educational programs and services in the coming years. Curious families may want to learn what specific programs are at risk and how the district plans to manage the cuts.
The surrounding housing market is typical for central Phoenix: home values and rents are modest relative to the national median, though the cost of a home is high compared to typical local incomes. The area has seen slight declines in both home values and rents in the most recent year measured, which might ease entry for new residents. The neighborhood is car-oriented, with wide grid streets and open roadways, part of the broader Phoenix urban pattern.
Clarendon School offers a neighborhood option for families in central Phoenix who value a school close to home and are comfortable with a student population that is diverse and majority Hispanic. The academic performance is lower than many area schools, which may lead some families to consider it carefully, especially with the district facing budget pressure. A parent considering Clarendon should ask about the school’s instructional supports, the small seventh-grade group, and what programs the district expects to continue or cut after the override loss.
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