The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School
Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School, a regular public school serving fifth through eighth grades, is part of the Sunnyside Unified District in Tucson. The school is located in the southeastern part of the city, an area of Tucson that is largely suburban and automobile-dependent in character. Tucson itself is a major desert city with a historic downtown and university core, a large geographic footprint, and an economy anchored by the University of Arizona, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and technology industries. The school’s immediate area consists of residential neighborhoods served by arterial roads.
The student body is composed predominantly of Hispanic students, who account for a large majority of the enrollment. The remaining students represent smaller shares of White, Black, multi-racial, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. The school serves a sizable middle-grade population, with the largest cohort in the eighth grade and the smallest in the sixth, and no fifth-grade enrollment was reported in the available data. Information on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as the proportions of students receiving special education services or identified as English learners, was not available. A parent may want to follow up with the school or district to understand the level of student support resources in place.
State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show that proficiency rates in English language arts and math are below the median when compared to other schools within the districts of Pima County. In English language arts, across all tested grades, approximately a quarter of students met the state’s proficiency standard. In math, the share meeting the standard was considerably lower, in the single-digit to low-teens range depending on the grade. In eighth-grade science, about one in seven students scored proficient. The school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile of its comparison set of districts in Pima County. A parent considering this school will want to weigh these academic outcomes carefully and may want to ask what specific instructional supports and interventions are in place.
Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism was also not available. The available information does not include details on course access, staffing ratios, or discipline rates, so a full picture of the learning environment and school climate is incomplete from this data alone.
Housing in the school’s zip code is moderately priced relative to state and national benchmarks. Home values have seen a slight decline recently, while rents have edged up modestly. The estimated monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home is somewhat lower than the typical rent, which may make homeownership more attainable than renting for families in this market. The national context of mortgage rates around six and a half percent and an unemployment rate just above four percent provides a general economic backdrop.
The Sunnyside Unified District, according to the most recent fiscal data available, receives its revenue from federal, state, and local sources. No specific information about recent district initiatives, bond measures, or strategic priorities was available for this profile, so a parent may want to check the district’s website or attend a board meeting to learn about current developments and investments.
Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School serves a predominantly Hispanic student body in a suburban part of Tucson. Its state assessment results fall below the middle of the pack among its county peers, particularly in math. A family considering this school will want to explore the academic support systems, program offerings, and school culture directly with the school to determine if the environment matches their child’s needs.
See more original research from School Decision →