Cactus Canyon Junior High

Summary:

Cactus Canyon Junior High is a public middle school located in Apache Junction, Arizona, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 702 students. The school is part of the Apache Junction Unified District, which is ranked 242 out of 288 districts in Arizona and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cactus Canyon Junior High has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Arizona middle schools, ranking between 466-617 out of 533-854 schools in recent years, and has maintained a 1-2 star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is performing below average compared to other Arizona middle schools. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels, with only 16% of 8th-grade students proficient in ELA, compared to the state average of 35%. The school has also experienced higher dropout rates than the state average, ranging from 1.9% to 5.1% in recent years.

Cactus Canyon Junior High's performance lags significantly behind nearby schools like Cooley Middle School, Franklin Junior High School, and Highland Junior High School, which have higher academic proficiency rates, lower dropout rates, and better overall rankings. Addressing the challenges at Cactus Canyon Junior High will require a comprehensive approach, including targeted interventions, increased funding, and a focus on improving the overall educational experience for all students.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 801 W Southern Ave
       Apache Junction, AZ  85120-7416


(480) 982-1110

District: Apache Junction Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
493rd of 550 Arizona Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,666 Help


Students who attend Cactus Canyon Junior High usually attend:

High:    Apache Junction High School

Feeder schools for Cactus Canyon Junior High:

Elementary:    Desert Vista Elementary School
    Four Peaks Elementary School
    Peralta Trail Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.8 Help
Number of students:  620

Racial breakdown:

White:
48.5%
Hispanic:
42.7%
Two or more races:
3.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  49.9% Help


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 Compare Cactus Canyon Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cactus Canyon Junior High ranks worse than 89.6% of middle schools in Arizona. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.68. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (48.5%), Hispanic (42.7%), two or more races (3.9%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cactus Canyon Junior High is 19.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cactus Canyon Junior High employs 31.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cactus Canyon Junior High is $5,666.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cactus Canyon Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Cactus Canyon Junior High 493rd of 550 Arizona public middle schools. (See Cactus Canyon Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Apache Junction Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Apache Junction Unified District 247th of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Cactus Canyon Junior High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 50.04 324th 663 51.1%
2010 43.59 396th 692 42.8%
2011 62.92 231st 685 66.3%
2012 64.63 252nd 772 67.4%
2013 56.50 333rd 787 57.7%
2014 48.10 340th 690 50.7%
2015 31.30 330th 521 36.7%
2016 38.10 380th 677 43.9%
2017 30.34 452nd 695 35.0%
2018 36.01 416th 711 41.5%
2019 21.88 465th 605 23.1%
2021 27.24 583rd 832 29.9%
2022 17.30 498th 605 17.7%
2023 25.13 617th 854 27.8%
2024 13.68 493rd 550 10.4%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 38.89 381st 650 41.4%
2023 46.55 212th 384 44.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 55.53 69th 606 88.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.81 156th 178 12.4%
2021 41.97 399th 789 49.4%
2023 16.19 343rd 363 5.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.75 319th 503 36.6%
2022 19.41 316th 369 14.4%
2023 29.95 496th 717 30.8%
2024 15.63 294th 320 8.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 29.85 21st 29 27.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.46 357th 624 42.8%
2019 19.08 370th 466 20.6%
2021 27.08 586th 820 28.5%
2022 15.57 437th 494 11.5%
2023 24.30 598th 806 25.8%
2024 8.29 367th 386 4.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 32.52 95th 166 42.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.12 405th 617 34.4%
2019 15.12 375th 435 13.8%
2021 29.35 556th 818 32.0%
2022 15.61 409th 476 14.1%
2023 24.06 609th 810 24.8%
2024 10.54 341st 370 7.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 29.57 322nd 404 20.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 22.34 551st 573 3.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.64 402nd 543 26.0%
2019 19.13 332nd 387 14.2%
2021 22.66 694th 802 13.5%
2022 17.40 344th 392 12.2%
2023 26.62 553rd 760 27.2%
2024 13.47 303rd 329 7.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 75.66 29th 159 81.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Cactus Canyon Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.97 382nd 436 12.4%
2019 5.50 332nd 337 1.5%
2021 28.40 605th 780 22.4%
2022 6.03 435th 446 2.5%
2023 12.45 636th 675 5.8%
2024 2.70 283rd 288 1.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Cactus Canyon Junior High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Cactus Canyon Junior High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 588 2 0 30 1 n/a n/a -6 615
1989 636 1 5 38 0 n/a n/a -89 591
1990 594 3 5 36 1 n/a n/a -40 599
1991 610 6 5 30 2 n/a n/a -104 549
1992 568 6 2 41 8 n/a n/a -1 624
1993 602 7 5 55 10 n/a n/a 0 679
1994 648 7 5 47 11 n/a n/a 0 718
1995 680 3 3 52 10 n/a n/a 0 748
1996 680 3 3 52 10 n/a n/a 0 748
1997 677 8 3 69 4 n/a n/a 0 761
1998 569 5 2 66 8 n/a n/a 0 650
1999 576 5 3 64 7 n/a n/a 0 655
2000 562 10 4 71 8 n/a n/a 0 655
2001 547 9 9 97 9 n/a n/a 0 671
2002 519 7 11 128 10 n/a n/a 0 675
2003 519 7 11 128 10 n/a n/a 0 675
2004 468 10 8 136 10 n/a n/a 0 632
2005 443 17 11 138 9 n/a n/a 0 618
2006 480 16 13 148 13 n/a n/a 0 670
2007 449 10 16 189 12 n/a n/a 0 676
2008 561 5 7 153 7 n/a n/a 0 733
2009 476 14 11 192 7 n/a n/a 0 700
2010 473 25 8 225 11 n/a n/a 0 742
2011 577 18 6 228 9 1 12 0 851
2012 510 15 7 222 8 0 12 0 774
2013 503 6 9 216 10 1 15 0 760
2014 519 6 8 208 10 3 21 0 775
2015 506 7 11 228 10 1 17 0 780
2016 452 14 8 217 10 0 12 0 713
2017 395 10 5 194 7 1 14 0 626
2018 378 12 2 203 10 1 20 0 626
2019 358 9 2 219 6 0 18 0 612
2020 322 8 4 212 4 2 29 0 581
2021 289 6 4 224 4 2 23 0 552
2022 297 5 2 217 8 1 17 0 547
2023 366 9 2 285 14 5 21 0 702
2024 301 15 5 265 9 1 24 0 620

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cactus Canyon Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 615 30.3 20.2 n/a
1989 591 28.0 21.1 n/a
1990 599 31.0 19.3 n/a
1991 549 28.0 19.6 n/a
1992 624 30.0 20.8 n/a
1993 679 34.0 20.0 n/a
1994 718 38.0 18.9 n/a
1995 748 36.3 20.6 n/a
1996 748 36.3 20.6 n/a
1997 761 37.3 20.4 n/a
1998 650 35.8 18.2 n/a
1999 655 31.0 21.1 n/a
2000 655 35.0 18.7 n/a
2001 671 34.0 19.7 n/a
2002 675 32.3 20.9 n/a
2003 675 32.3 20.9 n/a
2004 632 33.8 18.7 52.7
2005 618 34.4 18.0 51.3
2006 670 30.2 22.2 58.5
2007 676 32.9 20.5 48.2
2008 733 35.2 20.8 44.3
2009 700 37.3 18.8 50.9
2010 742 40.0 18.5 57.3
2011 851 42.7 19.9 56.1
2012 774 43.0 17.9 58.8
2013 760 37.7 20.1 63.2
2014 775 39.8 19.4 61.5
2015 780 40.0 19.5 64.6
2016 713 35.0 20.3 73.9
2017 626 31.1 20.0 75.6
2018 626 30.8 20.3 61.8
2019 612 28.8 21.2 59
2020 581 30.3 19.1 61.8
2021 552 26.4 20.8 n/a
2022 547 28.3 19.2 28.3
2023 702 36.2 19.3 49.9
2024 620 31.2 19.8 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cactus Canyon Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 615 30.3 20.2 n/a
1989 591 28.0 21.1 n/a
1990 599 31.0 19.3 n/a
1991 549 28.0 19.6 n/a
1992 624 30.0 20.8 n/a
1993 679 34.0 20.0 n/a
1994 718 38.0 18.9 n/a
1995 748 36.3 20.6 n/a
1996 748 36.3 20.6 n/a
1997 761 37.3 20.4 n/a
1998 650 35.8 18.2 n/a
1999 655 31.0 21.1 n/a
2000 655 35.0 18.7 n/a
2001 671 34.0 19.7 n/a
2002 675 32.3 20.9 n/a
2003 675 32.3 20.9 n/a
2004 632 33.8 18.7 52.7
2005 618 34.4 18.0 51.3
2006 670 30.2 22.2 58.5
2007 676 32.9 20.5 48.2
2008 733 35.2 20.8 44.3
2009 700 37.3 18.8 50.9
2010 742 40.0 18.5 57.3
2011 851 42.7 19.9 56.1
2012 774 43.0 17.9 58.8
2013 760 37.7 20.1 63.2
2014 775 39.8 19.4 61.5
2015 780 40.0 19.5 64.6
2016 713 35.0 20.3 73.9
2017 626 31.1 20.0 75.6
2018 626 30.8 20.3 61.8
2019 612 28.8 21.2 59
2020 581 30.3 19.1 61.8
2021 552 26.4 20.8 n/a
2022 547 28.3 19.2 28.3
2023 702 36.2 19.3 49.9
2024 620 31.2 19.8 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cactus Canyon Junior High

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $816 (10.3%) $148 (1.9%) $1,781 (22.5%) $5,847 (73.8%) $1,109 (14.0%) $6,956 (87.8%) $7,920
2020 $672 (14.3%) $424 (9.0%) $1,768 (37.6%) $3,786 (80.6%) n/a $3,600 (76.7%) $4,696
2021 $649 (14.5%) $474 (10.6%) $1,771 (39.6%) $3,528 (78.9%) n/a $3,349 (74.9%) $4,471
2022 $579 (10.2%) $24 (0.4%) $1,182 (20.9%) $4,999 (88.2%) $64 (1.1%) $5,063 (89.4%) $5,666

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cactus Canyon Junior High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 465th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 617th of 854 Middle schools
 4.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students612702
 14.7%
African American99
American Indian614
 133.3%
Asian22
Hispanic219285
 30.1%
Pacific Islander05
White358366
 2.2%
Two or More Races1821
 16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients59%49.9%
 9.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Cactus Canyon Junior High

Students who attend Cactus Canyon Junior High usually go on to attend Apache Junction High School

Cactus Canyon Junior High ranks in the bottom 10.4% of Arizona middle schools.

Students at Cactus Canyon Junior High are 49% White, 43% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% American Indian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 620 students attended Cactus Canyon Junior High.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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