Garden Lakes Elementary School, Avondale AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Garden Lakes Elementary School

Garden Lakes Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through eighth grade in Avondale, a fast-growing suburb west of Phoenix that has shifted from farmland and cotton fields to a largely residential and commercial bedroom community. The school sits within the Pendergast Elementary District, one of several districts that split Avondale along the Agua Fria River. The city itself has seen rapid population growth in recent years, with extensive new subdivisions and commercial corridors, while retaining a historic Old Town area along Western Avenue and amenities like multiple parks and the Phoenix Raceway. Education, government, and retail logistics are the dominant local employers.

Garden Lakes is a regular public school with an enrollment that spans the full elementary and middle grade range. State testing data from the most recent school year shows proficiency rates that vary by grade and subject. In English language arts, the share of students meeting state standards was highest in fourth grade and lowest in seventh grade, with most grade levels falling between roughly a third and a half proficient. Math results followed a similar pattern, with fourth grade again the strongest and seventh grade the weakest, while eighth grade math was somewhat higher than the middle grades. Science results for fifth and eighth graders were both below the midpoint of the school’s own range. Looking across all tested grades and subjects, the school’s overall proficiency index sat below the midpoint when compared to other schools and districts in Maricopa County.

A multi-year view of the data is limited. Only two or three years of comparable results are available, and the trends are not clearly directional. The most recent year’s overall figures were similar to prior years, with no sharp changes up or down, though a parent may want to ask the school about the dip seen in some middle-grade scores.

The student body is diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by white students, Black students, students identifying as two or more races, and Asian students. American Indian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students each represent a very small portion of the enrollment. Data on students receiving free or reduced-price meals, students with disabilities, and English learners was not available in the source materials, so it is not possible to assess the share of students from lower-income households or those receiving specialized supports. A parent interested in those dimensions would need to ask the school or district directly.

The school’s location in the 85392 ZIP code reflects a housing market where home values are near the statewide average for Arizona but slightly below the national median. Rental costs are also close to the state norm. The broader economic context shows a moderate unemployment rate and median household income at the national level, though local income data specific to Avondale was not included in the materials provided.

No information was available about course access, such as whether the school offers advanced or enrichment programs, or about staffing ratios, discipline rates, or attendance patterns. For a school that spans pre-K through eighth grade, these are common gaps in publicly reported data, but a parent considering Garden Lakes may want to visit and ask about class sizes, support services, and any specialized programs like gifted education or intervention.

Garden Lakes is a mid-sized elementary and middle school in a growing suburban city. Its test scores are somewhat below the average for Maricopa County overall, with stronger results in earlier grades than in middle school. The absence of key demographic and program data means families should seek out additional details directly from the school to understand the full picture of student supports and opportunities. The school’s setting in a rapidly developing part of the Phoenix metro area means the community context is one of ongoing residential growth, with a mix of older and newer neighborhoods and a largely car-dependent layout. For a family looking for a neighborhood school that serves all grades through eighth in one building, Garden Lakes provides that option, but the academic profile suggests it may be a better fit for families who are comfortable supplementing instruction at home or who are willing to advocate for additional resources.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 19% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 23% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 18% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 14% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 720%

School 20% · District 16% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 18% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 23% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 37% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 22% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 25% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 27% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 31% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 19% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 20% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

This schoolPendergast Elementary District (4283), 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.