The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Math. The lowest is 38% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Marshall Elementary School
Marshall Elementary School, located in the east side of Tucson, serves students from preschool through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Tucson Unified District (TUSD). It is not a charter or magnet school. The school’s enrollment is modest for an elementary serving that grade band, with classes distributed fairly evenly from kindergarten through fifth grade and a notable preschool class that brings in the youngest students. The student body is predominantly White and Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, Asian, Native American, and multiracial students. Data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available in the reporting we used, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about those supports.
State assessment results for the most recent testing year are reported for math and English language arts in grades three through five, with fifth-grade English and science results suppressed, likely due to small group sizes that prevent public reporting. In math, proficiency rates across the three tested grades clustered near the midpoint of the distribution, and the school’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint when compared against other districts across Pima County. In English language arts, third grade showed a rate lower than the school’s math results, while fourth grade was higher; the suppressed fifth-grade figure means a complete picture for that grade is not available in public data. Only one year of assessment data was available, so no trend can be established. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report.
No information about the school’s course offerings, staffing ratios, discipline rates, or attendance patterns was present in the data we reviewed. This leaves a gap in understanding what enrichment programs, class sizes, or behavioral climate look like. Families considering Marshall Elementary would need to gather that context directly from the school or from TUSD’s broader reporting.
Marshall operates within Tucson Unified District, a large system that has seen noticeable enrollment decline over time, prompting ongoing discussions about school utilization and possible consolidations. TUSD continues to operate under a federal desegregation order, which shapes student assignment, magnet programs, and transportation policies across the district. In a recent election, voters approved a renewal of the district’s Maintenance and Operations Override, funding teacher salaries, art, music, physical education, full-day kindergarten, and class-size reduction. That override renewal signals continued community investment in core programs and smaller classes.
Tucson itself is a major desert city with a diverse economy anchored by the University of Arizona, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and growing tech and optics industries. The city’s geographic spread is wide, and while downtown and the university area are the most walkable core with a streetcar connection, much of the city, including the east side where Marshall is located, is automobile-dependent suburban-style development. The school sits in a residential neighborhood, and its location within TUSD means that families may have school choice options under the district’s desegregation plan, but those choices come with transportation and assignment rules best clarified with the district.
All told, Marshall Elementary presents as a midsized neighborhood school in a large district undergoing change. Its academic results land near the middle of the county’s range, with math slightly stronger than English language arts in the grades that could be reported. The absence of data on student support populations and school climate means a family should press for those details to determine whether the school’s environment matches their child’s needs.
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