Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Joe Carlson Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

862^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Joe Carlson Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in the Douglas Unified District in Douglas, Arizona. The school has 428 students and is ranked 862 out of 909 Arizona elementary schools, with a 0 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.

Joe Carlson Elementary consistently underperforms the state and district averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2024-2025, only 21% of 5th graders were proficient or better in Science, compared to 34% statewide. The school also struggles to serve certain student subgroups effectively, ranking in the bottom 10% of Arizona elementary schools for African American students and English Language Learners in 2020-2021. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 62.7% in 2021-2022 to 86.87% in 2022-2023, suggesting a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

While Joe Carlson Elementary faces these challenges, some nearby schools within the Douglas Unified District, such as Faras Elementary and Stevenson Elementary, perform better on standardized tests and have higher SchoolDigger ratings. Additionally, the nearby Liberty Traditional Charter School - Saddleback outperforms Joe Carlson Elementary across multiple academic metrics, including higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

410

Students ?

25.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,076

Per pupil spending ?

86.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1700 N Louis Ave
Douglas, AZ 85607-1835

(520) 805-4400

District: Douglas Unified District

Students who attend Joe Carlson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ray Borane Middle School
High:	Douglas High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.0%

White:

1.2%

American Indian:

0.5%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Joe Carlson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 9th percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (21% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg23%

Arizona avg39%

862^nd of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 9% (2015) to bottom 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Elementary Schools in the Douglas Unified District

246^th of 289Douglas Unified District 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	10.9	862 of 909	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.6	788 of 912	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.7	915 of 1245	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.4	650 of 1000	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.9	848 of 1226	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.7	862 of 1039	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.1	748 of 1109	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	16.0	965 of 1106	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.4	960 of 1079	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	14.2	865 of 955	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	19.6	924 of 1079	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	15.3	1086 of 1158	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	24.1	988 of 1141	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	15.4	974 of 1075	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	25.0	886 of 1090	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	19.8	924 of 1062	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	22.2	856 of 895	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	28.2	295 of 451	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.9	826 of 975	15.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	50.0	56 of 155	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	21.0	981 of 1219	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.5	789 of 1219	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.3	711 of 862	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	714 of 1023	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	13.8	468 of 496	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	414 of 486	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.1	823 of 1170	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.5	544 of 716	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.5	783 of 1198	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.0	591 of 709	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.0	494 of 911	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.3	275 of 423	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	17.1	494 of 549	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.8	478 of 556	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.1	795 of 1116	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.8	423 of 618	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.0	463 of 820	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	25.9	899 of 1216	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.0	928 of 1220	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.6	796 of 850	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	37.4	606 of 1032	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	74.7	151 of 1027	85.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	39.4	466 of 820	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.6	516 of 1201	57.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2021)85th percentile+54 vs school

Special Education (2023)43rd percentile+17 vs school

Homeless (2021)35th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)35th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2023)26th percentile~ school

Female (2023)20th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)10th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)6th percentile~ school

African American (2021)4th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

Science21%-13 vs state

English Language Arts20%-22 vs state

Mathematics20%-19 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Joe Carlson Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Joe Carlson Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Joe Carlson Elementary School

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 English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th 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
Joe Carlson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1700 N Louis Ave	Douglas	85607	Cochise County	Douglas Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 805-4400	410	16	25.6		5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	402 (98.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10.9	862^nd of 909 public elementary schools	5.2%		14.6	788^th of 912 public elementary schools	13.6%	74		24.0	17.0			25.0		16.0	21.0	$7,076	$549	$73	$1,172	$6,267	$186	$6,453
Stevenson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 E 11th St	Douglas	85607	Cochise County	Douglas Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 364-2442	392	14	28.0		7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	382 (97.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.9	627^th of 909 public elementary schools	31.0%		36	513^th of 912 public elementary schools	43.8%	114	32.0	29.0	24.0			46.0	24.0	31.0	25.0	$6,323	$465	$162	$1,091	$5,575	$122	$5,697
Clawson School	Public	PK, KG-5	1235 E 7th St	Douglas	85607	Cochise County	Douglas Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 364-8466	344	12	27.7		15 (4.4%)	2 (0.6%)	326 (94.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	23.4	648^th of 909 public elementary schools	28.7%		31.5	565^th of 912 public elementary schools	38.0%	83	29.0	39.0				30.0	31.0	24.0		$6,320	$324	$117	$766	$5,449	$430	$5,878
Sarah Marley School	Public	PK, KG-5	735 E 7th St	Douglas	85607	Cochise County	Douglas Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 364-3408	291	12	24.2		3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	288 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$6,497	$369	$158	$897	$5,742	$227	$5,969
Center for Academic Success #3 - Douglas K-4	Public, Charter	K-4	919 E 3rd St	Douglas	85607	Cochise County	Center for Academic Success Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 805-6000	256	10	25.6		2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	254 (99.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41.4	456^th of 909 public elementary schools	49.8%		32.3	555^th of 912 public elementary schools	39.1%	99	33.0	39.0				50.0	41.0			$9,397	$1,722	$476	$3,920	$6,024	$1,176	$7,199
Liberty Traditional Charter School - Saddleback	Public, Charter	K-8	3715 N Washington Ave	Douglas	85607	Cochise County	Liberty Traditional Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 364-6311	242	7	34.5		9 (3.7%)	1 (0.4%)	230 (95.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.9	314^th of 909 public elementary schools	65.5%		89.9	72^nd of 912 public elementary schools	92.1%	242	40.0	44.0		74.0	43.0						$00			$00
Faras Elementary School	Public	K-5	410 W. Fir Avenue	Pirtleville	85626	Cochise County	Douglas Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 364-8461	129	6	21.5		3 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	123 (95.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.3%)								(n/a)	37.0					43.0				$7,670	$858	$136	$1,853	$6,313	$363	$6,676
Double Adobe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	7081 N Central Hwy	Mc Neal	85617	Cochise County	Double Adobe Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 364-3041	23	3	6.7		9 (39.1%)	1 (4.3%)	13 (56.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$15,918	$4,785	$958	$10,529	$5,564	$4,611	$10,175
Mcneal Elementary School	Public	K-8	3979 McNeal Street	Mc Neal	85617	Cochise County	McNeal Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 642-3356	31	7	4.4		21 (67.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.5%)	2 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$16,325	$1,761	$2,767	$6,290	$7,934	$3,863	$11,797

Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Carlson Elementary School

Is Joe Carlson Elementary School a good school?

Joe Carlson Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.2% of Arizona elementary schools.

What district is Joe Carlson Elementary School in?

Douglas Unified District

What schools do graduates of Joe Carlson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Joe Carlson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ray Borane Middle School
High : Douglas High School

What is the racial makeup of Joe Carlson Elementary School?

Students at Joe Carlson Elementary School are 98% Hispanic, 1% White.

How many students attend Joe Carlson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 410 students attended Joe Carlson Elementary School.

Rate Joe Carlson Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AZArizona Elementary School Rankings

AZArizona District Rankings

Schools in Douglas, AZ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Joe Carlson Elementary School!

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.