The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 53%.
Original Research by School Decision on Kachina Elementary School
Kachina Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Glendale, as part of the Peoria Unified School District. It sits in a large suburban city that borders Phoenix, a place with a mix of historic downtown areas, major retail, entertainment venues, and industrial employers such as Honeywell Aerospace and Conair. Luke Air Force Base and Midwestern University also anchor the community. The school draws from a neighborhood within Glendale that falls under the Peoria district, one of several school systems serving the city.
The student body is diverse. A little over two-fifths of students are White, and a similar share are Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. The school does not report the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, nor the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so that part of the picture is unavailable. Enrollment is moderate for a PK-8 school.
Academically, what can be said is shaped by what is reported. Arizona’s state assessments (AASA and AzSci) for the most recent year show proficiency rates that are suppressed for many grade levels, likely because small group sizes trigger suppression rules. For the grades where results are published, seventh-grade English language arts proficiency was notably above the school’s overall average, while eighth-grade ELA was lower. Math and science results for most grades were suppressed. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages across tested subjects and grades, sits above the midpoint among districts in Maricopa County, suggesting that where data is available, performance is stronger than a typical district in the county. Multi-year trend data exists only for the current year, so no direction can be inferred.
Because the school serves only up to eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Students move on to high schools within the Peoria district after Kachina.
Glendale’s housing market reflects a national affordability squeeze. Home values have seen a modest decline recently, and rents continue to rise. The typical mortgage payment on a median-priced home exceeds the typical rent, making renting more affordable in the short term. The broader economic context shows steady but moderate unemployment and rising shelter costs.
The district itself has a stable footprint of 44 schools across Peoria, Glendale, Youngtown, and a small area of Surprise. No recent school closures, openings, boundary changes, or major bond measures were publicly reported, so families can expect continuity in school assignments and programming.
For a family considering Kachina, the school offers a PK-8 span, avoiding a middle school transition until high school. The student body is racially and economically mixed, though the lack of free-lunch data makes it hard to gauge economic concentration. Academic results are incomplete but suggest that where the school reports, ELA proficiency in the upper grades is a relative strength, while math may warrant further inquiry. The school’s position above the county midpoint on the proficiency index is a positive signal, though the index depends on which grades and subjects are included. A parent may want to ask the school directly about math performance across all grades and how the school supports students who need additional help in that subject. The surrounding city offers parks, entertainment districts, and employment anchors, but the built environment is largely auto-oriented outside of a few walkable zones.
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