The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Science. The lowest is 46% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Taylor Hicks School
Taylor Hicks School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Prescott, a city that functions as both the Yavapai County seat and a regional trade center with a historic downtown. Prescott’s economy is anchored by healthcare, retail, and professional services, and it hosts three higher-education institutions: Yavapai College, Prescott College, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Prescott. The population skews older, reflecting its role as a retirement and tourism destination, and the housing market is competitive, with home values that have risen in recent years. The city has seen modest population growth, and ongoing infrastructure projects point to continued development pressure.
Taylor Hicks is a regular public school within the Prescott Unified District. The district itself is under financial pressure after a budget override measure failed by a narrow margin in late 2024, meaning it is operating without the additional funding the override would have provided. Families considering Taylor Hicks should be aware that this district-level constraint may affect programs and resources school-wide.
Academically, Taylor Hicks shows a mixed picture on the state’s math and English language arts assessments. In math, third graders posted a proficiency rate that was notably stronger than the fourth-grade cohort, though both grades performed above the median proficiency index among schools in Yavapai County. In English language arts, the pattern flipped: third graders had a lower proficiency rate, while fourth graders reached a rate that matched the school’s stronger math showing. Science results are available only from several years ago, so current performance in that subject is not possible to assess from the available data. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, sits above the midpoint among its county peers. This suggests that Taylor Hicks is delivering above-average academic outcomes relative to other schools in Yavapai County, though with variation by grade and subject that a parent may want to discuss with the school.
The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic minority and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available, so the degree of economic and linguistic diversity is not clear from the record.
The school environment data, including discipline rates, staffing ratios, and attendance, were also absent, leaving gaps in what a parent can gauge about day-to-day conditions. Because Taylor Hicks is an elementary school serving grades K–5, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not appear to be a charter, magnet, or Title I school based on available information.
For families already living in Prescott or considering a move to the area, the school’s location on Campbell Avenue places it in a residential part of the city. Prescott’s historic downtown, with its courthouse plaza, shops, and seasonal events, is a short drive away, and the city’s lakes, trail systems, and national forest lands are nearby for recreation. The presence of three colleges in town means there is a visible higher-education presence, though the school’s own program offerings beyond the core academic subjects were not detailed in the data.
Taylor Hicks offers a solid academic grounding relative to its county neighbors, particularly in math, but with enough grade-level variation in English language arts that a prospective parent would be wise to ask how the school supports literacy growth across the elementary years. The district’s budget constraints are a real factor to weigh, as is the limited transparency on economic and special-population demographics and school environment metrics. For a family that values above-county-average test performance in a city with a strong sense of place and outdoor amenities, this school is worth a closer look, with the understanding that some important details remain unavailable.
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