Hurley Ranch Elementary, Tolleson AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Hurley Ranch Elementary

Hurley Ranch Elementary serves students in third through eighth grade and is a regular public school within Union Elementary District in Tolleson, Arizona. The building sits in a city that is small in land area but functions as a major industrial and distribution hub for the Phoenix West Valley. Tolleson hosts dozens of large employers, mostly in food processing and logistics, giving it one of the highest jobs-to-residents ratios in the nation. The city’s built environment is oriented around freeways, rail lines, and warehouses rather than pedestrian street life, and its population is modest compared with its daytime workforce. The school’s immediate surroundings reflect that industrial character.

The student body is moderate in size for a grade band spanning third through eighth grade. A large majority of students are Hispanic, and there is a substantial Black population alongside smaller shares of white students and other racial and ethnic groups. Data on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status were not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students receiving free or reduced-price meals or support services.

State assessment results place Hurley Ranch Elementary in a difficult position. Across tested subjects and grade levels, proficiency rates are low, and the overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile when compared with other schools in Maricopa County districts. In English language arts, the highest proficiency rate among reported grades is in eighth grade, where roughly three out of ten students met the bar; other grade levels show rates closer to one in five or one in six. In math, the pattern is weaker still, with the highest reported grade at about three in ten for third grade and declining steadily to around one in eight by eighth grade. Science results are reported only for eighth grade, with about one in six students proficient. Results for several grade levels in math and science were suppressed, which commonly occurs when group sizes are small, though the tested counts for those grades suggest the suppression may be due to other reporting rules; a parent may want to follow up with the school for clarification.

Because Hurley Ranch Elementary does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to consider, and no chronic absenteeism figures were available in the data. The multi-year academic trends contain only a single year of records, so no direction of change can be assessed. The school’s program offerings were not detailed in the information provided, so it is unclear what electives, enrichment, or support programs exist beyond the core academic curriculum. The district itself reported no recent lasting changes that would affect a family’s decision.

For a family choosing a school, Hurley Ranch Elementary is a straightforward option within Union Elementary District for grades three through eight in a city that is more employment center than residential suburb. Academic performance is a clear concern, and the absence of economic and special population data leaves questions unanswered. A parent considering this school would benefit from a direct conversation with the principal about interventions, tutoring, and how the school supports students who are not yet proficient.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 23% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 11% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 12% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 13% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 16% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 15% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 16% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 721%

School 21% · District 18% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 26% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 17% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

This schoolUnion Elementary District (4277), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.