Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School, Glendale AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School

Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School is a regular public school in Glendale, Arizona, serving students from preschool through eighth grade. It sits within the Peoria Unified School District, which operates a stable network of schools across Peoria, Glendale, Youngtown, and a small part of Surprise, with no recent major closures or openings reported. The school itself occupies a single campus in a largely residential part of Glendale, a large suburban city that borders Phoenix and is known for a mix of historic neighborhoods, big-box retail, sports venues like State Farm Stadium, and employers such as Luke Air Force Base and Honeywell Aerospace.

On the academic side, state assessment results from the 2024–25 school year show a mixed picture that varies noticeably by grade and subject. In math, proficiency rates among tested grades range from a stronger showing in third grade to weaker ones in fifth, seventh, and eighth grades. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: third and fourth grade results are more solid, while fifth and seventh grade results are softer, with sixth and eighth grades settling in between. Science results, available for grades five and eight, are modest. Overall, when combined across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s proficiency index places it below the midpoint relative to districts in Maricopa County. This suggests that while some grade levels or subjects may be meeting expectations for a good share of students, the school as a whole is not keeping pace with many of its county peers. The data does not include multi-year trends beyond the single year, so it is not possible to see whether these patterns are stable or shifting.

The student body is diverse. The largest group is Hispanic, followed by a substantial share of White students. Smaller portions are Black, two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners was not reported. Parents who want to understand the level of economic need or the support systems for students with disabilities or language barriers would need to ask the school directly.

Glendale itself is a sprawling, auto-oriented city, though walkable pockets exist in Historic Downtown and the Westgate Entertainment District. The area’s housing market shows home values that are roughly in line with the state average and rents that are moderate relative to the national median household income. For families considering a move, this means Glendale offers a range of housing options typical of a large Phoenix suburb, though affordability pressures are present. The district’s stable footprint suggests continuity: no boundary changes or school openings have been reported in recent years, so families can expect the current feeder patterns to hold.

Discipline data, staffing ratios, and attendance figures were not available in this profile, and the school does not appear to have reported chronic absenteeism rates. As a PK–8 school, it does not have a high school graduation rate, which is a measure that simply does not apply here. Parents looking to understand the school’s climate or student engagement beyond test scores will need to seek that information from school visits or local parent conversations.

Sahuaro Ranch Elementary is a mid-sized neighborhood school with a diverse student body and academic results that are uneven across grades, with some bright spots in early elementary math and ELA. It operates within a large, stable district in a growing suburban city. For families who prioritize a full PK–8 pathway under one roof and value the convenience of a Glendale location near employment centers and entertainment, this school is a plausible option. Those who place a high premium on overall proficiency relative to the county’s other districts will want to look more closely at the grade-level results and understand why performance drops in certain middle grades.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 27% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 47% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 33% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 31% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 34% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 347%

School 47% · District 41% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 52% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 40% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 43% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 25% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 45% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 36% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 33% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

This schoolPeoria Unified School District (4237), 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.