The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gridley Middle School
Gridley Middle School sits within the Tucson Unified School District, on the east side of Tucson, a sprawling desert city that blends a historic downtown, the University of Arizona campus, and wide suburban neighborhoods. The school serves sixth through eighth grades and is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Enrollment is modest for a city middle school, and the student body reflects the broader demographics of TUSD, with a large Hispanic population and a substantial white student population, along with smaller shares of Black, Asian, Native American, and multiracial students. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not reported, and special population counts for students with disabilities and English learners were also missing from the available data, so a family wanting a full picture of student supports may need to ask the school directly.
Academically, Gridley Middle School’s state assessment results show that proficiency rates in math and English language arts are below the midpoint among districts in Pima County, based on the available comparison set. In math, proficiency across grades six through eight stands at a level that many families will view as low, with the highest rate in sixth grade and a gradual decline through seventh and eighth. English language arts scores are somewhat stronger, with seventh grade the highest of the three, but still a modest share of students meeting the state bar. Science proficiency in eighth grade, tested through the AzSci assessment, is similarly limited. The school has only a single year of data for these assessments in the current reporting, so there is no trend to examine. A parent should consider these results as a baseline and might want to discuss with the school how it supports students who are not yet proficient and what interventions are in place.
The school offers no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and no information on advanced coursework, career pathways, or specialized programs was available in the provided data. Discipline data, attendance figures, and staffing ratios were also absent, which leaves gaps in understanding school climate and resource allocation. Families should expect to gather this information from school tours or district reports.
The district context matters here. TUSD, one of the largest in Arizona, operates under a federal desegregation order known as the Unitary Status Plan, which shapes magnet programs, student assignment, and transportation. This means that school choice within the district is structured by integration goals. Voters in 2024 renewed a Maintenance & Operations Override that funds teacher salaries, art, music, physical education, full-day kindergarten, and class-size reduction, which supports school budgets. However, TUSD has experienced a long-term enrollment decline, prompting ongoing discussions about school utilization and potential facility closures. For a family at Gridley, this could eventually affect school assignments or the stability of attendance boundaries, though no specific plans for this school have been publicly reported.
Housing context in the area around the school reflects a market where home values run moderately above the national median but have softened slightly from a year ago, while rents have ticked up. Monthly mortgage costs on a typical home are noticeably higher than the cost to rent, which may influence a family’s housing decision relative to the school. The broader Tucson economy is anchored by the University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, providing a stable employment base, and the city’s downtown and university core, linked by the Sun Link streetcar, offer civic and cultural anchors that are a short drive from the school’s east-side location.
Overall, Gridley Middle School is a mid-sized public middle school in a large, diverse district with a clear set of academic challenges reflected in state test results. The school’s size and regular public status mean it serves a wide range of students from its attendance area, and the district’s desegregation plan and override funding shape the broader environment. A family considering Gridley will want to dig into student support services, the school’s approach to intervention, and how the district’s enrollment trends might affect their child’s path through middle school and into high school within TUSD.
See more original research from School Decision →