The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mckemy Academy of International Studies
McKemy Academy of International Studies is a regular public middle school serving sixth through eighth grade in the Tempe School District. It sits in the southern half of Tempe, an inner suburb of Phoenix where Arizona State University’s main campus is deeply woven into a dense, urbanized northern core of high-rises, light rail, and the Mill Avenue entertainment district. South of that, the city opens into single-family homes, strip malls, and lower-density office parks, and McKemy is in that part of town. The school’s name signals an international studies focus, which likely shapes the curriculum and student experience.
The student body is moderately sized for a middle school, with enrollment balanced fairly evenly across the three grades. The racial and ethnic composition is distinct: roughly two-fifths of students are Hispanic and a similar share are White, with smaller proportions of students who are Black, two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian. No free-or-reduced-price lunch data was available, nor were counts of students with individualized education programs or English learner status, so a full picture of economic and special-education need is missing from the public record.
Academically, McKemy’s test results show a clear split between subjects that a parent considering this school should weigh. In English language arts, the school performs well across all three grades, with proficiency rates well above the state median. Reading and writing instruction appears to be a genuine strength. In mathematics, the picture is more modest. Proficiency rates across grades six, seven, and eight are below the levels seen in ELA. Eighth-grade math had the highest math rate, but it still fell short of the English results by a wide margin. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports math growth and whether advanced or accelerated math pathways are available. On the eighth-grade science assessment, results were roughly on par with the math outcomes.
The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint when compared with other schools in Maricopa County districts. That places McKemy on the stronger side of the middle of a very large field. There was no graduation rate to consider because the school does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available.
The Tempe School District does not appear to have undergone major recent policy or funding changes that would alter a family’s decision today, based on publicly available information. No specific programs for McKemy were reported in the data, so details on electives, career exploration, or enrichment offerings are not available here.
Housing in the area carries a price notably above the Arizona statewide benchmark and above the national median home value. Rents reflect that elevated cost, and monthly rent is lower than a mortgage payment would be at current interest rates. The local unemployment rate has been stable around the national average. For families moving to the area, this is an expensive market compared with much of the rest of the state, and the school sits in a part of Tempe that is less pedestrian-oriented than the urbanized northern corridor.
McKemy Academy offers a middle school experience with clear academic differentiation: strong literacy results alongside math performance that leaves room for improvement. The international studies theme may appeal to families who want a globally oriented curriculum in the middle grades. The school serves a diverse student body in a major metropolitan area, and the lack of data on economic need, special education, and attendance makes it hard for a parent to fully assess the support structures in place. That missing information is worth following up on directly with the school.
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