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Rice Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6
Summary

Rice Elementary School is a public elementary school located in San Carlos, Arizona, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 642 students. The school is part of the San Carlos Unified District, which is ranked 538 out of 540 districts in Arizona and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rice Elementary School stands out from nearby schools like Copper Rim Elementary School in several key ways. Over 99% of its students identify as Native American, a significantly higher percentage than the more diverse racial compositions of other local schools. Academically, Rice Elementary consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Arizona, with only 5-9% of students proficient in English Language Arts and Mathematics, far below state and district averages. Additionally, the school serves a high-poverty community, with over 86% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite higher spending per student at Rice Elementary compared to Copper Rim Elementary, the academic performance remains significantly lower, suggesting that increased funding alone may not be the solution. The challenges faced by Rice Elementary appear to be reflective of broader systemic issues within the San Carlos Unified District, which will likely require a comprehensive approach to address the school's consistently low performance and lack of diversity.

673
Students ?
13.4
Student/teacher ratio ?
$13,701
Per pupil spending ?
86.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 San Carlos Avenue
       San Carlos, AZ  85550

(928) 475-4837

District: San Carlos Unified District


Students who attend Rice Elementary School usually attend:

High:    San Carlos High School
Racial breakdown:

American Indian:
98.5%
Asian:
1.5%
 See top rated Arizona public schools

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At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — <1st percentile in 2012 → <1st in 2023
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Arizona average (14% vs 39% meeting standards)
!Mathematics scores 27 pts below the Arizona average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school14%
District avg14%
Arizona avg39%
Not ranked this year
Rice Elementary School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.
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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
20236.91242 of 12450.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20221.41000 of 10000.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20219.81206 of 12261.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20191.21039 of 10390.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20182.81108 of 11090.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20172.71106 of 11060.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20165.71070 of 10790.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20140.81077 of 10790.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20131.21150 of 11580.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20120.91138 of 11410.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20110.41072 of 10750.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20100.81087 of 10900.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20090.61060 of 10620.2%☆☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
20237.51213 of 12190.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202111.71183 of 12193.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20183.21022 of 10230.1%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
20238.61112 of 11160.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20183.1820 of 8200.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
20236.31215 of 12160.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20219.91204 of 12201.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20183.31031 of 10320.1%☆☆☆☆☆

Native American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
20237.2217 of 2190.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202130.1477 of 65427.1%★☆☆☆☆
20194.320 of 200.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20189.962 of 620.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202123.01145 of 12014.7%☆☆☆☆☆
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)
Special Education (2021)5th percentile+3 vs school
Native American (2023)1st percentile~ school
Female (2023)<1st percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2023)<1st percentile~ school
Male (2023)<1st percentile~ school
By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?
Mathematics15%-27 vs state
English Language Arts13%-23 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about Rice Elementary School

Students at Rice Elementary School are 99% American Indian, 1% Asian.

In the 2024-25 school year, 673 students attended Rice Elementary School.

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

High : San Carlos High 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.




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