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Ron Watson Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

433^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 552 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 22% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Ron Watson Middle School is a public middle school in Yuma, Arizona, serving 557 students in grades 6-8. The school faces significant challenges, with low statewide rankings, poor academic performance, and high dropout rates, particularly for certain student subgroups.

Over the past 10 years, Ron Watson Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Arizona middle schools, with a ranking between 214 and 499 out of 521-854 schools. Its academic performance is especially low for female, male, Hispanic, and white students, ranking in the bottom 25% of Arizona middle schools for these subgroups. The school's proficiency rates on state assessments are significantly below the state and Yuma Elementary District averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with its 8th-grade science proficiency rate at just 20% compared to the state average of 30%. Additionally, the school has had relatively high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 3.7% to 6.2%.

When compared to other middle schools in the Yuma Elementary District and surrounding districts, Ron Watson Middle School generally performs worse on key metrics such as statewide ranking, test scores, and dropout rates. For example, R Pete Woodard Junior High School and Gila Vista Junior High School, which are also part of the Yuma Elementary District, have higher rankings and better test scores than Ron Watson Middle School.

548

Students ?

20.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,118

Per pupil spending ?

56.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9851 E 28th St
Yuma, AZ 85365-7132

(928) 502-7400

District: Yuma Elementary District

Students who attend Ron Watson Middle School usually attend:

High:

Gila Ridge High School

Feeder schools for Ron Watson Middle School:

Elementary:

Sunrise Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

64.4%

White:

31.4%

Two or more races:

1.6%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Ron Watson Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2015 → 22nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (22% vs 34% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 24 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg20%

Arizona avg34%

433^rd of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 24 pts since 2015

From bottom 46% (2015) to bottom 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5Middle Schools in the Yuma Elementary District

228^th of 289Yuma Elementary 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	19.2	433 of 552	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	397 of 550	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.7	499 of 854	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.8	434 of 605	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.2	470 of 832	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.6	301 of 605	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.3	298 of 711	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	61.8	214 of 695	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.4	262 of 677	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	38.1	282 of 521	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.8	310 of 690	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.5	271 of 787	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	42.9	465 of 772	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	45.8	372 of 685	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.3	378 of 692	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	39.1	412 of 663	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	43.1	262 of 573	54.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	41.7	298 of 606	50.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	16.3	325 of 395	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	308 of 386	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.9	509 of 806	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	15.6	436 of 494	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.7	446 of 820	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.2	237 of 466	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.5	246 of 624	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	21.4	268 of 345	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.2	261 of 329	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.2	502 of 760	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.7	325 of 392	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.4	431 of 802	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.5	188 of 387	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.2	271 of 543	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	23.9	252 of 344	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.8	263 of 320	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.9	487 of 717	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.7	284 of 369	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.0	240 of 503	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	12.6	335 of 379	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.2	306 of 370	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.8	456 of 810	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.7	363 of 476	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.0	475 of 818	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.4	309 of 435	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.6	275 of 617	55.4%	★★★☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	33.3	12 of 19	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.0	10 of 29	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	40.7	76 of 110	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.5	76 of 143	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	38.8	252 of 384	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.9	343 of 650	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	27.9	361 of 390	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	23.8	77 of 108	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	19.1	321 of 363	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.9	171 of 789	78.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	7.9	266 of 277	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.9	266 of 288	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	30.6	472 of 675	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	14.4	406 of 446	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	36.4	517 of 780	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.1	264 of 337	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.0	227 of 436	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2021)54th percentile+11 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)51st percentile+7 vs school

Migrant (2023)37th percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)34th percentile-7 vs school

Military Connected (2023)31st percentile-11 vs school

Pacific Islander (2021)29th percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)27th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)22nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)18th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)12th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2023)12th percentile-30 vs school

Native American (2021)7th percentile-36 vs school

White (2025)4th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts32%-9 vs state

Science20%-10 vs state

Mathematics12%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ron Watson Middle 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 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th 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
Ron Watson Middle School	Public	6-8	9851 E 28th St	Yuma	85365	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-7400	548	26	20.9		172 (31.4%)	7 (1.3%)	353 (64.4%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.6%)	19.2	433^rd of 552 public middle schools	21.6%		22.4	397^th of 550 public middle schools	27.8%	36	32.0	34.0	30.0	14.0	14.0	9.0	20.0	$7,118	$998	$1,325	$3,320	$4,669	$127	$4,795
Castle Dome Middle School	Public	6-8	2353 S Otondo Dr	Yuma	85365	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-7300	939	37	25.2		198 (21.1%)	10 (1.1%)	716 (76.3%)	6 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.7%)	18.1	447^th of 552 public middle schools	19.0%		18.5	441^st of 550 public middle schools	19.8%	6	32.0	27.0	29.0	11.0	11.0	12.0	25.0	$5,882	$1,209	$1,221	$3,638	$3,496		$3,452
Gila Vista Junior High School	Public	6-8	2245 S Arizona Ave	Yuma	85365	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-7100	551	22	24.8		86 (15.6%)	7 (1.3%)	440 (79.9%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.6%)	13.9	492^nd of 552 public middle schools	10.9%		13.7	490^th of 550 public middle schools	10.9%	2	26.0	31.0	25.0	11.0	8.0	7.0	16.0	$7,251	$1,020	$1,379	$3,419	$4,503	$349	$4,852
R Pete Woodard Junior High School	Public	6-8	2250 S 8th Ave	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-7200	614	29	21.0		76 (12.4%)	13 (2.1%)	495 (80.6%)	6 (1.0%)	9 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	13 (2.1%)	20.1	416^th of 552 public middle schools	24.6%		21.8	403^rd of 550 public middle schools	26.7%	13	26.0	30.0	28.0	21.0	15.0	21.0	21.0	$6,431	$1,213	$1,244	$3,669	$3,968	$06	$3,974
Fourth Avenue Junior High School	Public	6-8	450 S 4th Ave	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-7000	364	21	17.1		10 (2.7%)	8 (2.2%)	341 (93.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.4	533^rd of 552 public middle schools	3.4%					(n/a)	19.0	20.0		12.0				$9,764	$1,706	$1,308	$4,721	$6,208	$542	$6,750
Centennial Middle School	Public	6-8	2650 W 20th St	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	Crane Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 373-3300	646	29	22.2		61 (9.4%)	7 (1.1%)	560 (86.7%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	9 (1.4%)	28.3	351^st of 552 public middle schools	36.4%		23	390^th of 550 public middle schools	29.1%	39		42.0	30.0		28.0	18.0	17.0	$8,510	$768	$276	$1,812	$5,851	$1,615	$7,466
Crane Middle School	Public	6-8	4450 W 32nd St	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	Crane Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 373-3200	554	25	22.1		45 (8.1%)	3 (0.5%)	489 (88.3%)	9 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (0.9%)	19.4	425^th of 552 public middle schools	23.0%		20.5	419^th of 550 public middle schools	23.8%	6		27.0	28.0		19.0	14.0	21.0	$8,658	$880	$331	$2,090	$5,798	$1,649	$7,447
Somerton Middle School	Public	6-8	1011 North Somerton Ave.	Somerton	85350	Yuma County	Somerton Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 341-6100	697	31	22.4		6 (0.9%)	3 (0.4%)	665 (95.4%)	1 (0.1%)	18 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	17.8	452^nd of 552 public middle schools	18.1%		13.2	496^th of 550 public middle schools	9.8%	44		30.0	30.0		16.0	14.0	12.0	$7,412	$390	$51	$831	$5,885	$1,085	$6,971

Frequently Asked Questions about Ron Watson Middle School

What high school do graduates of Ron Watson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Ron Watson Middle School usually go on to attend Gila Ridge High School

Is Ron Watson Middle School a good school?

Ron Watson Middle School ranks in the bottom 21.6% of Arizona middle schools.

How many students attend Ron Watson Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 548 students attended Ron Watson Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Ron Watson Middle School?

Students at Ron Watson Middle School are 64% Hispanic, 31% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is Ron Watson Middle School in?

Yuma Elementary District

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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.