The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Palo Verde Middle School
Palo Verde Middle School serves seventh and eighth graders in a regular public school setting within the Washington Elementary School District, located in a residential area of Phoenix. The school sits in a large, sprawling urban center that blends commercial, residential, and industrial uses, functioning as a major transportation and high-technology hub for the region. This is a large middle school for its two-grade span, drawing from a surrounding population that includes families living in a mix of older and newer housing stock, where home values and rents have seen a slight decline relative to the prior year.
The student body is diverse and predominantly composed of students who identify as Hispanic, representing a substantial majority of the enrollment. The remaining population includes Black students, White students, Asian students, and small shares of students who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native and those of two or more races. The school does not report a share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, nor does it report rates of students with disabilities or English learners, leaving a gap in understanding the level of economic and academic support needed within the building. A parent or guardian may want to follow up directly with the school on these figures.
On the most recently available state assessments in math, reading, and science, the school’s proficiency rates fall into the lower range for its peer set. In both seventh and eighth grade math, the rate of students scoring proficient or above was about the same, and in the bottom quartile among schools in Maricopa County for overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades. Seventh grade English language arts proficiency was slightly higher than eighth grade, and the eighth grade science proficiency rate was also in a similar range. The available two-year trend data shows that the math and English proficiency rates have been consistent, with no significant shift from the prior year. These results suggest that a large majority of students are performing below the state’s academic benchmarks in the core subjects.
Because the school serves only seventh and eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, which is typical for a middle school setting. The school operates as a regular public school under the district’s governance, and the district itself has no publicly reported recent changes regarding bonds, overrides, curriculum, or budget that would alter the school’s near-term context.
The housing market in the immediate area around the school shows a median home value and typical monthly rent that fall below the national median, and monthly rent is a smaller share of household income than a typical mortgage payment would be, making renting the more affordable option in this part of Phoenix. The broader city has been among the faster-growing in the nation, though the specific neighborhood surrounding Palo Verde Middle School has not seen the same high-growth patterns reported for the metropolitan area as a whole.
For a family considering this school, what is available in the data is a clear picture of a large, ethnically diverse middle school in a stable, slow-growth part of a fast-growing city, where state test results indicate that the typical student is not meeting the established academic standards. The school’s program offerings, extracurricular access, and staffing levels are not reported in the available data, so a parent would want to visit the campus and speak with administrators about the academic pathways, support services, and enrichment opportunities that are in place for students.
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