Wildfire Elementary School, Phoenix AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Wildfire Elementary School

Wildfire Elementary School sits in north Phoenix as part of the Paradise Valley Unified District, serving students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary building, and the student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population making up a meaningful share and smaller groups of students who are Asian, Black, or of two or more races. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, as well as counts of students with disabilities and English learners, were not reported, which leaves families without a full picture of the school’s economic and support-service landscape.

Academically, Wildfire stands out in its region. On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile relative to other districts across Maricopa County. In English language arts, performance was strong in the early grades, with very high shares of third and fourth graders meeting proficiency standards. By fifth and sixth grade, those shares remained solid, though they stepped down from the earlier highs. In math, the pattern was similar: third and fourth graders posted high proficiency rates, while fifth and sixth graders, though still above average nationally, showed a noticeable decline from the earlier grades. Science results, available only for fifth grade, showed roughly half of students at proficiency, a more modest outcome compared to the school’s literacy and math scores in the same grade.

The data does not include a graduation rate because the school does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism figures were also unavailable, so it is not possible to assess attendance patterns directly from the record.

Phoenix is a fast-growing, sprawling city with a diversified economy that has moved beyond its agricultural roots into technology, manufacturing, tourism, and services. The area around Wildfire, in the northern reaches of the city, is part of the broader suburban expansion north of downtown. Housing values in the school’s zip code are notably higher than the state average, and a family considering the area should expect home prices and rents that reflect that premium. The district itself, Paradise Valley Unified, returned no publicly reported recent parent-relevant changes such as boundary shifts, program cuts, or leadership transitions from the web search conducted, so families may want to seek out current district communications directly for any active developments.

For a parent weighing options, Wildfire presents academically strong elementary and middle grades, particularly in the earlier years, with a clear step-down in upper-elementary math and science that a family might want to discuss with the school. The student composition is not especially diverse, and the lack of published economic and special-population data makes it harder to gauge the range of student needs the school serves. The school’s high proficiency standing in its county context gives it a solid reputation, but the drop-off between third and sixth grade scores is worth a closer look to understand what supports are in place for older students.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 382%

School 82% · District 33% · ▲ 49 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 479%

School 79% · District 56% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 50% · ▲ 19 pts above district

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

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 45% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 386%

School 86% · District 25% · ▲ 61 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 489%

School 89% · District 60% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 48% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 676%

School 76% · District 57% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Science

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 42% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

This schoolParadise Valley Unified District (4241), 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.