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Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary

Q: Is Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary a good school?

Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary ranks 329 th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

329^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 64% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary is a public elementary school in Chandler, Arizona, serving 753 students from pre-kindergarten to 6th grade. The school is part of the Chandler Unified District #80, which is ranked 105 out of 289 districts in the state.

Tarwater Elementary consistently performs above the state average in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 4th grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 58%, compared to the district's 61% and the state's 46%. Tarwater also excels in Science, with a 5th grade proficiency rate of 47%, higher than the district's 48% and the state's 34%. The school's performance is strong across various student subgroups, including Asian, African American, Hispanic, and Multi-racial students, as well as English Language Learners and Special Education students.

Tarwater Elementary has shown consistent improvement over the years, moving from the 341st position in the state in 2018-2019 to the 329th position in 2024-2025. The school's overall rating has also improved, with a 5-star rating in 2020-2021 and a 4-star rating in the most recent years. While Tarwater outperforms many nearby schools in the Chandler Unified District, it faces competition from the high-performing Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence, a public charter school in the area.

694

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,718

Per pupil spending ?

16.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2300 S Gardner Dr
Chandler, AZ 85286-8349

(480) 883-4300

District: Chandler Unified District #80

Students who attend Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bogle Junior High School
High:	Hamilton High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.7%

Hispanic:

23.3%

Asian:

12.4%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 87th percentile in 2015 → 64th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (47% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Above the Arizona median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg54%

Arizona avg38%

329^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From top 13% (2015) to top 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

19^th of 31Elementary Schools in the Chandler Unified District #80

105^th of 289Chandler Unified District #80 among Arizona districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	58.5	329 of 909	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.7	291 of 912	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	85.3	178 of 1245	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	74.8	206 of 1000	79.4%	★★★★☆
2021	90.4	117 of 1226	90.5%	★★★★★
2019	67.2	341 of 1039	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.5	213 of 1109	80.8%	★★★★☆
2017	70.1	323 of 1106	70.8%	★★★★☆
2016	79.0	232 of 1079	78.5%	★★★★☆
2015	84.3	124 of 955	87.0%	★★★★☆
2014	84.1	159 of 1079	85.3%	★★★★☆
2013	85.5	106 of 1158	90.8%	★★★★★
2012	86.0	90 of 1141	92.1%	★★★★★
2011	85.3	128 of 1075	88.1%	★★★★☆
2010	86.0	116 of 1090	89.4%	★★★★☆
2009	85.8	114 of 1062	89.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	67.2	150 of 607	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	38.8	229 of 289	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	69.8	111 of 895	87.6%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	80.7	41 of 316	87.0%	★★★★☆
2022	81.2	31 of 270	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	72.0	123 of 620	80.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	69.9	101 of 451	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	54.2	124 of 975	87.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	38.1	343 of 589	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.7	286 of 602	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	83.9	169 of 1219	86.1%	★★★★☆
2022	61.0	294 of 824	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	86.9	143 of 1219	88.3%	★★★★☆
2019	55.9	363 of 862	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.8	265 of 1023	74.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	79.1	177 of 1170	84.9%	★★★★☆
2022	68.2	217 of 716	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.1	171 of 1198	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.7	196 of 709	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	65.2	262 of 911	71.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	78.7	81 of 556	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	67.1	273 of 1116	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	62.9	246 of 820	70.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	46.0	314 of 626	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.5	302 of 628	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	82.8	188 of 1216	84.5%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	161 of 830	80.6%	★★★★☆
2021	89.9	104 of 1220	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	61.9	301 of 850	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	83.4	156 of 1032	84.9%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	70.5	107 of 617	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	48.2	242 of 444	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	85.0	44 of 1027	95.7%	★★★★★
2018	60.1	10 of 17	41.2%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	67.0	33 of 82	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	195 of 654	70.2%	★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	74.2	5 of 24	79.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.3	33 of 171	80.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	59.6	235 of 820	71.3%	★★★★☆
2021	61.5	254 of 1201	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	62.1	100 of 417	76.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	34.5	333 of 465	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.8	325 of 486	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	76.4	186 of 1024	81.8%	★★★★☆
2022	64.2	236 of 800	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	82.9	128 of 1161	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	43.1	364 of 595	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	74.9	165 of 720	77.1%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Asian (2023)87th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)85th percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2023)85th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2023)83rd percentile-3 vs school

Pacific Islander (2022)79th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2023)78th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2023)75th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2023)71st percentile-14 vs school

Native American (2022)60th percentile-20 vs school

Male (2025)50th percentile-14 vs school

Female (2025)42nd percentile-22 vs school

White (2025)28th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts51%+11 vs state

Science47%+13 vs state

Mathematics43%+6 vs state

4.2

6 ratings · 5 written reviews

5★4

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, February 18, 2026

My kids have been in the Mandarin DLI program at Tarwater since 2019. Tarwater is a truly special place - kids that support each other and push each other to be better, great families in the community, and teachers and staff who truly care about the whole picture with these kids. Not to mention, how many other public school Mandarin Immersion programs will you find out there we are incredibly lucky to have such a unique and top-notch program in CUSD. In a world where balancing all of the pressures of being a public school educator is harder than ever, Tarwater really excels and sets itself apart as a welcoming, happy, safe, motivating environment. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, April 14, 2023

Terrible school. Bullying is rampant and is tolerated. Not a healthy place for children. The principal and staff are indifferent to bullying and seem to be fine with it. Pathetic considering we trust them with our children's well being.
Their only saving grace is the Mandarin immersion program but no program is worth a child's well being. They should be ashamed of themselves and so should CUSD for letting them get away with it knowing very well what's going on there. If bigotry and bullying is what you want your kids to grow up accepting then this is the place for you but if you want your kids to grow up as compassionate, tolerant kind people then definitely stay away from this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Tarwater has an amazing community. Teachers and Parents have open lines of communication. This year, the school has done a good job of implementing new safety measures to reduce the spread of COVID19. We love all of the traditions and events that help to enhance the typical educational experience. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, June 24, 2017

My child just completed her first year at Tarwater elementary. We loved her teacher (who unfortunately has left Tarwater at the end of this year), and I love the running club and all of the teachers and parents who offer their time to keep that activity going! The principal was in her first year and it seems like she has a good ten year plan. I didn't feel like she was as personally engaged with the students as I would have liked to see. My child's previous principal was also a first year principal when we first started school there and the interaction was amazing - I'm just missing that same sense here. Maybe over time I will see that change here and I look forward to it. Right now, I highly recommend this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, January 16, 2015

Lots of parent participation in this school. They have a really nice class size for now at least. The teachers seem happy and excited to teach. They also have a great running club and many extra activities for kids. We have done a bunch of field trips and my kids really seem to be challenged by the education without having 3 hours of homework like at other schools. I feel like the time spent at school is quality time.

I also love that they find ways to get the kids in front of parents to sing or do plays. I believe this will help kids in the future with their confidence.

At parent teacher night I was impressed that in most families both the Mom and Dad showed up even when they were divorced. It seems like their is a lot of outside support from the families that take their kids here. They also have a Dad's Club which I thought was a great idea. Close Quote

Schools Near Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				AASA English Language Arts (2025)				AASA Mathematics (2025)				AzSCI Science (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th 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
Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2300 S Gardner Dr	Chandler	85286	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 883-4300	694	42	16.4		317 (45.7%)	36 (5.2%)	162 (23.3%)	86 (12.4%)	9 (1.3%)	8 (1.2%)	76 (11.0%)	58.5	329^th of 909 public elementary schools	63.8%		64.7	291^st of 912 public elementary schools	68.1%	38	49.0	58.0	56.0	42.0	40.0	50.0	46.0	35.0	47.0	$7,718	$743	$72	$1,557	$6,720	$184	$6,904
Anna Marie Jacobson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1515 NW Jacaranda Pkwy	Chandler	85248	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 883-4100	651	33	19.7		294 (45.2%)	24 (3.7%)	185 (28.4%)	52 (8.0%)	34 (5.2%)	6 (0.9%)	56 (8.6%)	68.8	263^rd of 909 public elementary schools	71.1%		75.5	201^st of 912 public elementary schools	78.0%	62	45.0	63.0	46.0	64.0	54.0	67.0	53.0	58.0	30.0	$7,733	$704	$115	$1,522	$6,687	$228	$6,915
T. Dale Hancock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2425 S Pleasant Dr	Chandler	85286	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 883-5900	667	44	15.1		241 (36.1%)	53 (7.9%)	272 (40.8%)	32 (4.8%)	29 (4.3%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (5.7%)	52.8	363^rd of 909 public elementary schools	60.1%		59.4	339^th of 912 public elementary schools	62.8%	24	48.0	44.0	40.0	47.0	54.0	22.0	59.0	34.0	47.0	$8,273	$652	$91	$1,395	$7,333	$198	$7,531
Basha Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3535 S Basha Rd	Chandler	85248	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 883-4400	581	36	16.3		236 (40.6%)	31 (5.3%)	182 (31.3%)	48 (8.3%)	35 (6.0%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (8.3%)	54.2	353^rd of 909 public elementary schools	61.2%		55	365^th of 912 public elementary schools	60.0%	12	34.0	62.0	34.0	61.0	50.0	43.0	41.0	53.0	32.0	$9,414	$601	$76	$1,278	$8,489	$248	$8,737
Dr Howard K Conley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	500 S Arrowhead Dr	Chandler	85224	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 812-7000	667	50	13.4		127 (19.0%)	83 (12.4%)	309 (46.3%)	33 (4.9%)	46 (6.9%)	9 (1.3%)	60 (9.0%)	25.8	611^th of 909 public elementary schools	32.8%		25.9	625^th of 912 public elementary schools	31.5%	14	34.0	34.0	32.0	34.0	33.0	21.0	26.0	31.0	28.0	$10,080	$1,190	$243	$2,622	$8,432	$216	$8,648
San Marcos Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	451 W Frye Rd	Chandler	85225	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 883-4200	343	30	11.3		14 (4.1%)	30 (8.7%)	277 (80.8%)	5 (1.5%)	11 (3.2%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	18.5	721^st of 909 public elementary schools	20.7%					(n/a)	26.0	28.0			30.0					$12,382	$2,228	$283	$4,739	$9,557	$314	$9,872
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence	Public	PK, KG-6	1405 W Lake Dr	Sun Lakes	85248	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 224-2700	796	41	19.6		148 (18.6%)	21 (2.6%)	78 (9.8%)	500 (62.8%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.5%)	96.3	16^th of 909 public elementary schools	98.2%		96.4	17^th of 912 public elementary schools	98.1%	1	77.0	86.0	73.0	74.0	91.0	92.0	74.0	67.0	68.0	$6,127	$483	$62	$1,028	$5,345	$237	$5,582
Bright Beginnings School #1	Public, Charter	K-6	400 N Andersen Blvd	Chandler	85224	Maricopa County	Bright Beginnings School Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 821-1404	199	16	12.4		119 (59.8%)	5 (2.5%)	38 (19.1%)	22 (11.1%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.5%)	84.1	125^th of 909 public elementary schools	86.2%		92.5	56^th of 912 public elementary schools	93.9%	69	41.0	66.0	89.0		52.0	76.0	83.0		86.0		$00			$00
Frye Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	801 E Frye Rd	Chandler	85225	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 812-6400	509	41	12.4		28 (5.5%)	61 (12.0%)	372 (73.1%)	3 (0.6%)	21 (4.1%)	6 (1.2%)	18 (3.5%)	11.5	849^th of 909 public elementary schools	6.6%		10.1	868^th of 912 public elementary schools	4.8%	19		28.0	16.0			25.0	22.0		15.0	$10,922	$1,595	$222	$3,411	$8,840	$265	$9,105
Ira A. Fulton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4750 S Sunland Dr	Chandler	85248	Maricopa County	Chandler Unified District #80	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 224-3300	502	34	14.9		283 (56.4%)	23 (4.6%)	104 (20.7%)	40 (8.0%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (8.8%)	68.8	264^th of 909 public elementary schools	71.0%		64.2	294^th of 912 public elementary schools	67.8%	30	52.0	59.0	50.0	50.0	49.0	45.0	58.0	56.0	52.0	$7,748	$556	$94	$1,207	$6,852	$246	$7,097

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary

How many students attend Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 694 students attended Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary.

Is Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary a good school?

Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary ranks 329^th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary?

Students at Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary are 46% White, 23% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 11% Two or more races, 5% African American, 1% American Indian, 1% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary attend?

Students who attend Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bogle Junior High School
High : Hamilton High School

What district is Robert and Danell Tarwater Elementary in?

Chandler Unified District #80

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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.