Is Western Valley Middle School a good school?

Western Valley Middle School ranks in the bottom 1.3% of Arizona middle schools.

How many students attend Western Valley Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 524 students attended Western Valley Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Western Valley Middle School?

Students at Western Valley Middle School are 83% Hispanic, 10% African American, 3% White, 1% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Western Valley Middle School attend?

Students who attend Western Valley Middle School usually go on to attend Sierra Linda High School

Western Valley Middle School

Summary:

Western Valley Middle School is a public middle school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving around 550 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Fowler Elementary District, which is ranked 266 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Western Valley Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom 25% of Arizona middle schools, with a ranking of 527 out of 533 in the 2023-2024 school year and a 0-star rating. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are significantly lower than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 19% of 6th graders, 13% of 7th graders, and 14% of 8th graders were proficient in ELA, compared to the state averages of 43%, 41%, and 35%, respectively. In Mathematics, the proficiency rates are even lower, with only 6% of 7th graders and 5% of 8th graders meeting or exceeding standards in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the state averages of 30% and 27%. The school has also seen a steady increase in its dropout rate, from 0.1% in 2016-2017 to 5.5% in 2021-2022.

Nearby schools, such as Hurley Ranch Elementary and Morris K. Udall Escuela de Bellas Artes, also struggle with low academic performance and high percentages of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. However, some nearby schools, like Maricopa Institute of Technology (MIT) and Kings Ridge School, have shown better academic performance and higher rankings compared to Western Valley Middle School. The school's per-student spending of $7,918 in the 2018-2019 school year is also lower than the state average and some of the nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 6-8

6250 W Durango St
Phoenix, AZ 85043-6580

(623) 707-2200

District: Fowler Elementary District

SchoolDigger Rank:
543^rd of 550 Arizona Middle Schools

Students who attend Western Valley Middle School usually attend:

High:

Sierra Linda High School

Feeder schools for Western Valley Middle School:

Elementary:	Fowler Elementary School
	Western Valley Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.9

Number of students: 524

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

83.4%

African American:

10.1%

White:

3.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.9%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Western Valley Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Western Valley Middle School ranks worse than 98.7% of middle schools in Arizona. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.89. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (83.4%), African American (10.1%), White (3.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Western Valley Middle School is 20.9. (See more...)

Compare Western Valley Middle School employs 25 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Western Valley Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Western Valley Middle School 543^rd of 550 Arizona public middle schools. (See Western Valley Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hispanic students:

Fowler Elementary District:

SchoolDigger ranks Fowler Elementary District 275^th of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Western Valley Middle School?

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Rank History for Western Valley Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile
2009	28.56	507^th	663	23.5%
2010	20.81	587^th	692	15.2%
2011	20.73	580^th	685	15.3%
2012	36.00	530^th	772	31.3%
2013	27.89	629^th	787	20.1%
2014	22.11	570^th	690	17.4%
2015	19.39	440^th	521	15.5%
2017	19.77	574^th	695	17.4%
2018	19.13	580^th	711	18.4%
2019	13.24	543^rd	605	10.2%
2021	16.92	750^th	832	9.9%
2022	7.65	595^th	605	1.7%
2023	11.91	822^nd	854	3.7%
2024	7.89	543^rd	550	1.3%

See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	33.64	17^th	31	45.2%
2021	41.74	298^th	606	50.8%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	37.52	477^th	789	39.5%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.41	425^th	503	15.5%
2023	31.77	472^nd	717	34.2%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	20.47	514^th	624	17.6%
2019	10.38	435^th	466	6.7%
2021	17.47	743^rd	820	9.4%
2022	5.19	492^nd	494	0.4%
2023	16.83	715^th	806	11.3%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	32.52	95^th	166	42.8%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Male students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	19.33	502^nd	617	18.6%
2019	9.08	414^th	435	4.8%
2021	17.83	727^th	818	11.1%
2022	3.71	475^th	476	0.2%
2023	11.58	785^th	810	3.1%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	57.00	36^th	125	71.2%
2021	22.73	507^th	573	11.5%
2023	15.57	367^th	400	8.3%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	24.08	424^th	543	21.9%
2019	16.21	345^th	387	10.9%
2021	22.68	691^st	802	13.8%
2022	8.82	390^th	392	0.5%
2023	13.23	733^rd	760	3.6%
2024	9.92	322^nd	329	2.1%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Western Valley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	16.28	390^th	436	10.6%
2021	27.42	610^th	780	21.8%
2023	37.22	414^th	675	38.7%

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.

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Western Valley Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2004	41	35	1	305	4	n/a	n/a	386
2005	53	33	1	337	4	n/a	n/a	428
2006	59	59	8	455	4	n/a	n/a	585
2007	61	72	20	545	7	n/a	n/a	705
2008	50	73	19	621	4	n/a	n/a	767
2009	60	61	18	584	6	n/a	n/a	729
2010	55	50	11	577	9	n/a	n/a	702
2011	46	57	6	666	12	2	7	796
2012	39	62	7	640	14	4	5	771
2013	118	78	0	558	9	5	2	770
2014	100	72	5	587	15	5	5	789
2015	71	64	4	636	6	4	10	795
2016	34	35	4	498	5	4	10	590
2017	60	60	3	677	8	5	8	821
2018	52	57	2	624	7	2	8	752
2019	45	62	4	653	9	3	7	783
2020	37	57	4	624	6	3	6	737
2021	7	13	1	179	1	2	2	205
2022	14	43	1	460	7	1	7	533
2023	15	51	0	469	7	2	6	550
2024	17	53	3	437	6	2	6	524

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 Western Valley Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	386	22.0	17.5	92.5
2005	428	25.5	16.8	99.3
2006	585	33.3	17.6	99.5
2007	705	41.5	17.0	78.4
2008	767	40.5	18.9	84.7
2009	729	42.0	17.4	85.3
2010	702	43.0	16.3	81.3
2011	796	41.0	19.4	84.4
2012	771	42.0	18.3	82.2
2013	770	41.0	18.7	n/a
2014	789	37.0	21.3	82.6
2015	795	41.0	19.3	81.8
2016	590	36.0	16.3	91.5
2017	821	37.0	22.1	43.5
2018	752	35.0	21.4	77.8
2019	783	33.5	23.3	75.9
2020	737	31.0	23.7	74.9
2021	205	31.0	6.6	n/a
2022	533	30.0	17.7	25.5
2023	550	25.0	22.0	60.9
2024	524	25.0	20.9	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 Western Valley Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	386	22.0	17.5	92.5
2005	428	25.5	16.8	99.3
2006	585	33.3	17.6	99.5
2007	705	41.5	17.0	78.4
2008	767	40.5	18.9	84.7
2009	729	42.0	17.4	85.3
2010	702	43.0	16.3	81.3
2011	796	41.0	19.4	84.4
2012	771	42.0	18.3	82.2
2013	770	41.0	18.7	n/a
2014	789	37.0	21.3	82.6
2015	795	41.0	19.3	81.8
2016	590	36.0	16.3	91.5
2017	821	37.0	22.1	43.5
2018	752	35.0	21.4	77.8
2019	783	33.5	23.3	75.9
2020	737	31.0	23.7	74.9
2021	205	31.0	6.6	n/a
2022	533	30.0	17.7	25.5
2023	550	25.0	22.0	60.9
2024	524	25.0	20.9	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 Western Valley Middle School

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$550 (6.9%)	$254 (3.2%)	$1,354 (17.1%)	$5,569 (70.3%)	$1,544 (19.5%)	$7,113 (89.8%)	$7,918

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Western Valley Middle School

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 543^rd of 605 Middle schools	Ranks 822^nd of 854 Middle schools	6.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	783	550	29.8%
African American	62	51	17.7%
American Indian	9	7	22.2%
Asian	4	0	100%
Hispanic	653	469	28.2%
Pacific Islander	3	2	33.3%
White	45	15	66.7%
Two or More Races	7	6	14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	75.9%	60.9%	15%

Schools Near Western Valley Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				AASA English Language Arts (2024)						AASA Mathematics (2024)						AzSCI Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Western Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	6250 W Durango St	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-2200	524	25	20.9		17 (3.2%)	53 (10.1%)	437 (83.4%)	3 (0.6%)	6 (1.1%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.1%)	7.9	543^rd of 550 public middle schools	1.3%		11.9	822^nd of 854 public middle schools	3.7%	279				19.0	13.0	14.0								9.0		$00			$00
Kings Ridge School	Public	2-8	3650 S 64th Ln	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Riverside Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 477-8960	358	18	19.8		21 (5.9%)	55 (15.4%)	258 (72.1%)	4 (1.1%)	13 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	13.9	488^th of 550 public middle schools	11.3%		23.9	633^rd of 854 public middle schools	25.9%	145			15.0	31.0		13.0			15.0	17.0					$6,594	$304	$634	$1,241	$5,046	$611	$5,656
Santa Maria Middle School	Public	6-8	7250 W Lower Buckeye Rd	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-1100	583	23	25.3		26 (4.5%)	81 (13.9%)	453 (77.7%)	3 (0.5%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	12 (2.1%)	8.5	539^th of 550 public middle schools	2.0%		16.4	752^nd of 854 public middle schools	11.9%	213				20.0	16.0	15.0					7.0					$00			$00
Maricopa Institute of Technology (MIT)	Public	7-8	3900 S 55th Ave	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Riverside Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 272-0006	56	1	56.0		5 (8.9%)	9 (16.1%)	38 (67.9%)	1 (1.8%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.6%)								(n/a)					60.0	65.0									$7,978	$712	$2,845	$4,269	$1,303	$3,119	$4,421
Imagine Desert West Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	6738 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Imagine Desert West Middle Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 469-2024	426				11 (2.6%)	32 (7.5%)	374 (87.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)	9.9	526^th of 550 public middle schools	4.4%		17.9	725^th of 854 public middle schools	15.1%	199				19.0	19.0	16.0					11.0			10.0		$00			$00
Vista College Prep Sueno Park	Public, Charter	5-8	1720 N 45th Ave.	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Vista College Preparatory Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 237-6273	508				6 (1.2%)	46 (9.1%)	453 (89.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	19.7	427^th of 550 public middle schools	22.4%		26	605^th of 854 public middle schools	29.2%	178			16.0	25.0	29.0	29.0			22.0	29.0	21.0	11.0	14.0	10.0	$8,083	$463	$1,412	$2,337	$4,809	$1,399	$6,208
Hurley Ranch Elementary	Public	3-8	8950 W Illini Rd	Tolleson	85353	Maricopa County	Union Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 478-5100	666	38	17.5		33 (5.0%)	141 (21.2%)	453 (68.0%)	9 (1.4%)	19 (2.9%)	3 (0.5%)	8 (1.2%)	11.5	512^th of 550 public middle schools	6.9%		18.1	720^th of 854 public middle schools	15.7%	208	15.0	24.0	14.0	18.0	26.0	12.0	21.0	15.0	13.0	16.0	14.0		12.0		$9,648	$1,284	$1,505	$4,073	$5,650	$1,209	$6,859
Morris K. Udall Escuela de Bellas Artes	Public	6-8	3348 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85009	Maricopa County	Isaac Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 442-2700	555	32	17.3		10 (1.8%)	16 (2.9%)	525 (94.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	8.3	540^th of 550 public middle schools	1.8%		15.5	767^th of 854 public middle schools	10.2%	227				15.0	19.0	17.0				10.0	8.0			8.0		$00			$00
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts	Public	6-8	2730 N 79th Ave	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5300	539	24	22.4		10 (1.9%)	53 (9.8%)	463 (85.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	9.6	530^th of 550 public middle schools	3.6%		13.9	786^th of 854 public middle schools	8.0%	256					20.0	19.0					5.0	6.0		9.0	$12,164	$1,785	$486	$4,055	$8,362	$1,532	$9,894
Isaac Middle School	Public	6-8	3402 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85009	Maricopa County	Isaac Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 455-6800	487	30	16.2		6 (1.2%)	20 (4.1%)	456 (93.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	9.1	534^th of 550 public middle schools	2.9%		13.5	797^th of 854 public middle schools	6.7%	263				11.0	9.0	17.0						13.0		13.0		$00			$00

Western Valley Middle School

Western Valley Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Fowler Elementary District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for all students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for Foster Care students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Western Valley Middle School

Rank History for White students at Western Valley Middle School

Enrollment information for Western Valley Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Western Valley Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Western Valley Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Western Valley Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Western Valley Middle School

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Western Valley Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Valley Middle School

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