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Emerson Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

782^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Emerson Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in the Mesa Unified District in Mesa, Arizona, with 728 students. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Arizona elementary schools over the past several years, with a current ranking of 782 out of 909 schools and a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Emerson Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages on standardized tests, with only 19-34% of students proficient in English Language Arts and 14-30% proficient in Mathematics, compared to 34-46% and 38-42% for the district, respectively. The school struggles to support certain student subgroups, with its Hispanic and Special Education students ranking in the bottom 10% and bottom 5% of Arizona elementary schools, respectively. Emerson Elementary has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 69.93% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the district average.

In comparison, nearby Franklin Accelerated Academy - Downtown Campus, which is in the same district, ranked 123rd out of 1,245 Arizona elementary schools in 2022-2023 and had much higher proficiency rates. Emerson Elementary's performance has been inconsistent, ranging from 695th out of 1,106 schools (2 stars) in 2016-2017 to 990th out of 1,245 schools (1 star) in 2022-2023, suggesting the school may be struggling to maintain consistent academic performance. Addressing the needs of its diverse student population, especially its high-need subgroups, and ensuring adequate resources and funding, will be critical for Emerson Elementary to improve its educational outcomes.

717

Students ?

19.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,225

Per pupil spending ?

69.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

415 N Westwood
Mesa, AZ 85201-5530

(480) 472-4700

District: Mesa Unified District

Students who attend Emerson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Carson Junior High School
High:	Westwood High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.4%

White:

26.1%

African American:

6.4%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Emerson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 17th percentile in 2015 → 14th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (24% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school24%

District avg38%

Arizona avg39%

782^nd of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 17% (2015) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

45^th of 51Elementary Schools in the Mesa Unified District

177^th of 289Mesa 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	15.2	782 of 909	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	853 of 912	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.8	990 of 1245	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.7	867 of 1000	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	811 of 1226	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.1	782 of 1039	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.0	729 of 1109	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.3	695 of 1106	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	30.4	722 of 1079	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	19.0	790 of 955	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	27.8	814 of 1079	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	35.6	818 of 1158	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	36.8	795 of 1141	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	29.5	800 of 1075	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.3	817 of 1090	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	22.3	898 of 1062	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	33.5	631 of 895	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	20.2	392 of 451	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.3	545 of 975	44.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.3	85 of 155	45.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	7.6	569 of 589	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.7	592 of 602	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	1059 of 1219	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.0	784 of 824	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	26.1	890 of 1219	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.2	718 of 862	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.8	762 of 1023	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	54.1	61 of 306	80.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	16.0	1090 of 1170	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	24.3	965 of 1198	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.9	621 of 709	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.0	742 of 911	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	62.9	34 of 102	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.5	189 of 423	55.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	15.9	513 of 549	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.4	545 of 556	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.2	996 of 1116	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	601 of 618	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	30.3	596 of 820	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	9.3	595 of 626	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.2	622 of 628	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.1	940 of 1216	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	768 of 830	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	33.6	749 of 1220	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	14.9	745 of 850	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.2	589 of 1032	42.9%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	24.4	863 of 1027	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	41.1	310 of 654	52.6%	★★★☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	30.9	113 of 171	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	15.0	804 of 820	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	44.9	533 of 1201	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.4	159 of 417	61.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	40.9	289 of 465	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.5	380 of 486	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.8	670 of 1024	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.4	641 of 800	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	52.5	525 of 1161	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.5	450 of 595	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	47.1	409 of 720	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Foster Care (2021)80th percentile+46 vs school

Homeless (2023)67th percentile+46 vs school

Native American (2021)53rd percentile+19 vs school

White (2025)38th percentile+24 vs school

Pacific Islander (2021)34th percentile~ school

African American (2021)29th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)16th percentile-18 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)13th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2023)7th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)7th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2025)5th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2025)3rd percentile-11 vs school

Special Education (2023)2nd percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts25%-15 vs state

Mathematics23%-16 vs state

Science21%-13 vs state

4.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, January 4, 2010

Emerson is a wonderful school!! Our principal Mark Norris is amazing. He truly cares for the students and staff at Emerson. He is fair to all students and treats them with respect. The teachers really care about their students too. The staff is very welcoming to parents. Parents are encouraged to come and visit the new Parent Resource room. Overall I think Emerson is awesome!!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Emerson 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 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
Emerson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	415 N Westwood	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4700	717	37	19.6		187 (26.1%)	46 (6.4%)	397 (55.4%)	2 (0.3%)	28 (3.9%)	17 (2.4%)	40 (5.6%)	15.2	782^nd of 909 public elementary schools	14.0%		11.3	853^rd of 912 public elementary schools	6.5%	71	19.0	34.0	23.0	25.0	26.0	30.0	14.0		21.0	$7,225	$625	$52	$1,302	$6,147	$402	$6,548
Concordia Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	142 N Date	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Concordia Charter School Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 461-0555	106	7	15.1		13 (12.3%)	6 (5.7%)	75 (70.8%)	1 (0.9%)	2 (1.9%)	1 (0.9%)	8 (7.5%)								(n/a)										$9,568	$00	$1,565	$1,565	$7,956	$47	$8,002
Whittier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	733 N Longmore	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4900	443	27	16.7		82 (18.5%)	15 (3.4%)	254 (57.3%)	11 (2.5%)	51 (11.5%)	3 (0.7%)	27 (6.1%)								(n/a)				23.0						$9,937	$1,080	$81	$2,240	$8,275	$501	$8,776
Guerrero Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	463 S Alma School Rd	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-9220	424	25	17.3		22 (5.2%)	36 (8.5%)	341 (80.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)								(n/a)						27.0				$9,465	$1,135	$108	$2,377	$7,985	$237	$8,222
Webster Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	202 N Sycamore	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4860	591	35	17.1		76 (12.9%)	60 (10.2%)	372 (62.9%)	2 (0.3%)	57 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.9%)	15.3	777^th of 909 public elementary schools	14.5%		8.6	888^th of 912 public elementary schools	2.6%	111		22.0		23.0	32.0					$9,239	$531	$96	$1,157	$8,288	$325	$8,613
Step Up School	Public, Charter	K-8	44 E 5th St	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	STEP UP Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 344-2600	62	7	8.8		0 (0.0%)	13 (21.0%)	46 (74.2%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.2%)								(n/a)											$00			$00
Heritage Academy Pinnacle	Public, Charter	K-8	32 S Center St	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Heritage Academy Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(623) 537-3535	124	8	15.5		74 (59.7%)	3 (2.4%)	32 (25.8%)	2 (1.6%)	2 (1.6%)	1 (0.8%)	10 (8.1%)								(n/a)		74.0
Franklin Accelerated Academy - Downtown Campus	Public	PK, KG-6	236 S Sirrine	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 472-5400	373	18	20.7		145 (38.9%)	13 (3.5%)	173 (46.4%)	6 (1.6%)	8 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (7.0%)	82.4	136^th of 909 public elementary schools	85.0%		85.6	120^th of 912 public elementary schools	86.8%	16	58.0	71.0	74.0	56.0	58.0	70.0	76.0	48.0	48.0	$7,582	$29	$19	$76	$7,360	$174	$7,534
Mesa Arts Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	221 W 6th Ave	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 844-3965	227	8	28.3		25 (11.0%)	13 (5.7%)	176 (77.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.8%)								(n/a)											$00			$00
Mesa Center for Success	Public	PK, KG-8	855 W 8th Ave	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 472-3802	52	8	6.5		22 (42.3%)	6 (11.5%)	17 (32.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.8%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Emerson Elementary School

What district is Emerson Elementary School in?

Mesa Unified District

What is the racial makeup of Emerson Elementary School?

Students at Emerson Elementary School are 55% Hispanic, 26% White, 6% African American, 6% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 2% Pacific Islander.

Is Emerson Elementary School a good school?

Emerson Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.0% of Arizona elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Emerson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Emerson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carson Junior High School
High : Westwood High School

How many students attend Emerson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 717 students attended Emerson Elementary School.

Rate Emerson Elementary School!

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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.