The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mary Mcleod Bethune School
Mary McLeod Bethune School is a regular public school in Phoenix, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the Phoenix Elementary District, which covers a central portion of this large, sprawling city. The school sits in a residential and commercial area of Phoenix, a fast-growing urban center built on a precise grid with wide, car-oriented streets.
The school enrolls a modest number of students for a PK-8 campus. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population and smaller shares of white, Native American, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not available in the records we reviewed.
In state testing, the available results paint a mixed picture. For the most recent school year, proficiency rates in math and English language arts were reported for some grades, but several grade-level figures were suppressed, which can occur when group sizes are small. Where results were reported, proficiency in math for grade 3 was roughly a third. In English language arts, grades 7 and 8 each showed proficiency around a third. Science results for grades 5 and 8 were suppressed. Over the two most recent years for which combined data across tested subjects and grades is available, overall proficiency in ELA hovered around a quarter, while overall math proficiency remained around a seventh to a sixth, indicating low levels of attainment. When compared with other districts in Maricopa County, the school’s overall proficiency index fell below the midpoint of the 248 districts that had reported data.
Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no four-year graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course access were also absent from the available information. Families may want to inquire directly with the school or district about these areas, as they are not captured in the public data we reviewed.
Homes in the area have a typical value close to the national median, and rents are moderate. The price-to-income ratio suggests that buying a home may be a stretch for households earning the median income, while renting is the more affordable option. The local economy is diversified across technology, manufacturing, tourism, and services, and the city itself is a transportation and financial hub for the region. The Phoenix Elementary District’s public records did not mention any recent bond measures, curriculum changes, or other policy shifts that would have a lasting impact on Mary McLeod Bethune School, so we left that context out.
What emerges is a modest-sized K-8 school in a large, growing city, serving a predominantly Hispanic and Black student body. Academic proficiency, based on the state tests that could be reported, is low relative to other districts in the county, and several key data points about student support and school environment are not publicly available. A family considering this school would want to visit, talk with staff, and ask about the programs, services, and daily experience that the numbers alone do not convey.
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