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Cactus Wren Elementary School

Public Grades K-6

Summary

Cactus Wren Elementary School is a public elementary school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving 422 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. The school is part of the Washington Elementary School District, which is ranked 329 out of 540 districts in the state.

Cactus Wren Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of Arizona elementary schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's academic performance is significantly below the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2022-2023 school year, only 16% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 41% and the district average of 30%. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with only 4-7% of students in grades 3-6 being proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 31-43%. Cactus Wren's performance is especially low for certain student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and White students, who rank in the bottom 10-20% of Arizona elementary schools in various subjects and grade levels.

However, the school's performance for English Language Learner (ELL) students and Special Education students is relatively stronger, ranking in the top 5% and top 25% of Arizona elementary schools, respectively, in the 2020-2021 school year. The nearby schools within the Washington Elementary School District, such as Lakeview Elementary, Sunset School, and Manzanita Elementary, generally perform better than Cactus Wren Elementary School, with higher rankings and academic proficiency rates.

413

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,804

Per pupil spending ?

90.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9650 N 39th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85051-3324

(602) 347-2100

District: Washington Elementary School District

Students who attend Cactus Wren Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Cholla Middle School
High:	Cortez High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.6%

White:

16.5%

African American:

9.9%

See top rated Arizona public schools

Compare Cactus Wren Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 38th percentile in 2012 → 8th in 2023

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (28% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 30 percentile points since 2012

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school28%

District avg32%

Arizona avg41%

Not ranked this year

Cactus Wren Elementary School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

212^th of 289Washington Elementary School 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
2023	13.5	1151 of 1245	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	24.1	913 of 1226	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.9	878 of 1039	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.0	700 of 1109	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.4	600 of 1106	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	38.5	608 of 1079	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	42.8	479 of 955	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.7	498 of 1079	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	37.0	793 of 1158	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	41.9	708 of 1141	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.7	496 of 1075	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	42.6	627 of 1090	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	63.9	404 of 1062	62.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	9.5	600 of 607	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.7	721 of 895	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	43.7	179 of 316	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.4	513 of 620	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	67.4	39 of 975	96.0%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	17.3	1057 of 1219	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.3	865 of 1219	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.3	769 of 862	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.8	570 of 1023	44.3%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	30.9	196 of 306	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	18.0	1044 of 1170	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.1	719 of 1198	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.2	561 of 911	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	11.7	1096 of 1116	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	45.0	433 of 820	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	11.6	1170 of 1216	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	24.9	905 of 1220	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.2	703 of 850	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	781 of 1032	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	24.8	857 of 1027	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	28.6	518 of 654	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	60.2	273 of 1201	77.3%	★★★★☆
2018	28.9	296 of 417	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	8.0	1001 of 1024	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.8	1044 of 1161	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.7	540 of 720	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2021)96th percentile+70 vs school

Special Education (2021)77th percentile+52 vs school

Asian (2023)43rd percentile+36 vs school

Foster Care (2021)36th percentile+10 vs school

Native American (2021)21st percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)17th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2023)13th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2023)11th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2023)4th percentile-4 vs school

White (2023)2nd percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)2nd percentile-6 vs school

African American (2023)1st percentile-6 vs school

4.0

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1★0

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Schools Near Cactus Wren 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 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
Cactus Wren Elementary School	Public	K-6	9650 N 39th Ave	Phoenix	85051	Maricopa County	Washington Elementary School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 347-2100	413	30	13.8		68 (16.5%)	41 (9.9%)	242 (58.6%)	27 (6.5%)	23 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.7%)								(n/a)				28.0											$13,804	$1,495	$219	$3,209	$10,240	$1,850	$12,090
Abraham Lincoln Traditional School	Public	PK, KG-8	10444 N 39th Ave	Phoenix	85051	Maricopa County	Washington Elementary School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 896-6300	593	31	18.8		148 (25.0%)	43 (7.3%)	319 (53.8%)	31 (5.2%)	14 (2.4%)	3 (0.5%)	35 (5.9%)	75.7	198^th of 909 public elementary schools	78.2%		73.3	216^th of 912 public elementary schools	76.3%	18	45.0	59.0	59.0	55.0	50.0	57.0	66.0	70.0	60.0	47.0	21.0	42.0	49.0	45.0	$8,522	$450	$155	$1,054	$6,802	$1,116	$7,918
Imagine Cortez Park Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	3535 W Dunlap Ave	Phoenix	85051	Maricopa County	Pathfinder Charter School Foundation	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 589-9840	437	17	25.7		22 (5.0%)	51 (11.7%)	245 (56.1%)	103 (23.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.2%)								(n/a)							23.0									$00			$00
Ethos Academy- A Challenge Foundation Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	8840 N 43rd Ave	Glendale	85302	Maricopa County	Ethos Academy - A Challenge Foundation Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 249-3211	325	25	13.0		42 (12.9%)	77 (23.7%)	191 (58.8%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.5%)								(n/a)					29.0		36.0									$00			$00
Sunset School	Public	PK, KG-6	4626 W Mountain View Rd	Glendale	85302	Maricopa County	Washington Elementary School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 347-3300	497	27	18.0		108 (21.7%)	32 (6.4%)	302 (60.8%)	22 (4.4%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	26 (5.2%)	33.6	532^nd of 909 public elementary schools	41.5%		19.4	712^th of 912 public elementary schools	21.9%	180	18.0	43.0	44.0	37.0				34.0	32.0	22.0			41.0		$8,869	$874	$217	$1,964	$6,813	$965	$7,778
Manzanita Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	8430 N 39th Ave	Phoenix	85051	Maricopa County	Washington Elementary School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 348-2200	539	35	15.5		87 (16.1%)	33 (6.1%)	370 (68.6%)	18 (3.3%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.1%)	19.2	716^th of 909 public elementary schools	21.2%		21.5	675^th of 912 public elementary schools	26.0%	41		24.0	19.0	29.0			19.0	22.0	15.0	46.0			24.0		$9,687	$874	$224	$1,972	$7,050	$1,539	$8,589
Alta Vista Elementary School	Public	K-6	8710 N 31st Ave	Phoenix	85051	Maricopa County	Washington Elementary School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 347-2000	531	29	18.6		53 (10.0%)	142 (26.7%)	255 (48.0%)	53 (10.0%)	13 (2.4%)	2 (0.4%)	13 (2.4%)	10.2	872^nd of 909 public elementary schools	4.1%		11.3	852^nd of 912 public elementary schools	6.6%	20	16.0	19.0	16.0	22.0			21.0	18.0	17.0	21.0			20.0		$8,200	$1,042	$219	$2,302	$6,125	$814	$6,939
Arroyo Elementary School	Public	K-8	4535 W Cholla St	Glendale	85304	Maricopa County	Washington Elementary School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 896-5100	504	33	15.5		132 (26.2%)	21 (4.2%)	299 (59.3%)	18 (3.6%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.8%)	21.2	688^th of 909 public elementary schools	24.3%		17.3	752^nd of 912 public elementary schools	17.5%	64	26.0	32.0		24.0	34.0	40.0	44.0	29.0	22.0			28.0	20.0	20.0	$8,728	$963	$190	$2,115	$6,829	$747	$7,576
Tumbleweed Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4001 W Laurel Ln	Phoenix	85029	Maricopa County	Washington Elementary School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 896-6600	441	29	15.4		96 (21.8%)	31 (7.0%)	265 (60.1%)	13 (2.9%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.3%)	24.1	637^th of 909 public elementary schools	29.9%		19.4	710^th of 912 public elementary schools	22.1%	73	22.0	41.0	20.0	24.0			33.0	42.0							$10,218	$1,176	$294	$2,646	$7,290	$1,458	$8,748
Horizon School	Public	K-8	8520 N 47th Ave	Glendale	85302	Maricopa County	Glendale Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 237-4010	856	44	19.4		172 (20.1%)	64 (7.5%)	514 (60.0%)	37 (4.3%)	28 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (4.7%)	15.8	770^th of 909 public elementary schools	15.3%		17.9	741^st of 912 public elementary schools	18.8%	29	19.0	33.0	21.0	35.0	37.0	35.0	31.0	21.0	15.0		17.0	28.0	18.0	28.0	$9,759	$1,511	$409	$3,431	$6,299	$1,540	$7,839

Frequently Asked Questions about Cactus Wren Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Cactus Wren Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cactus Wren Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cholla Middle School
High : Cortez High School

How many students attend Cactus Wren Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 413 students attended Cactus Wren Elementary School.

What district is Cactus Wren Elementary School in?

Washington Elementary School District

What is the racial makeup of Cactus Wren Elementary School?

Students at Cactus Wren Elementary School are 59% Hispanic, 16% White, 10% African American, 7% Asian, 6% American Indian, 3% Two or more races.

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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.