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Cave Creek Unified District

At a glance

77^thof 289 Arizona districts▼ 7

Better than 73% of Arizona districts

Elementary 5 Middle 1 High 1 Alternative 1Grades PK, KG-12

33016 N 60th St
Scottsdale, AZ 85266-5245·(480) 575-2000·All Arizona district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 73.4% of districts

Schools

3,821

Students

Top rankedHorseshoe Trails Elementary School101^st of 909 Arizona elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Black Mountain Elementary School up 37 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Desert Sun Academy 13.2 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare Arizona districts →See the top-ranked Arizona schools →

Summary:

The Cave Creek Unified District in Arizona contains 8 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 high school, and 1 alternative school. The district is highly ranked, performing well above the state average, with several standout schools that consistently earn top ratings and test scores.

Cactus Shadows High School is a top performer, ranking among the best high schools in Arizona with a 4-star rating. It boasts strong test scores, with 68% proficiency in English Language Arts and 58% in Mathematics for 11th graders, as well as a low 5.2% dropout rate. Meanwhile, Horseshoe Trails Elementary School and Lone Mountain Elementary School are also highly ranked, with 4-5 star ratings and impressive proficiency rates of 70-85% in English Language Arts and 62-81% in Mathematics.

While the district as a whole performs well, there is some variation in school performance. The alternative Cave Creek Academy of Excellence has lower enrollment and spending per student, but still maintains a reasonable graduation rate and test scores. Conversely, Desert Sun Academy lags behind the other schools in the district. Overall, the Cave Creek Unified District stands out as a strong performer, with several exceptional schools that provide high-quality education to students in the area.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 English Language Arts 11th 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	AASA Mathematics 11th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 11th 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
Black Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	33606 N 60th St	Scottsdale	85266	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 575-2100	496	32	15.5		382 (77.0%)	7 (1.4%)	66 (13.3%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.7%)	85.3	114^th of 909 public elementary schools	87.5%		81.7	151^st of 912 public elementary schools	83.4%	37	67.0	81.0	65.0	51.0				69.0	75.0	75.0	48.0				52.0			$2,686	$103	$48	$254	$2,064	$470	$2,535
Desert Sun Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	27880 N. 64th Street	Scottsdale	85266	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 575-2900	191	14	13.2		139 (72.8%)	3 (1.6%)	39 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.2%)	46.2	418^th of 909 public elementary schools	54.0%		63.8	298^th of 912 public elementary schools	67.3%	120		55.0	37.0							39.0					35.0			$2,495	$80	$57	$216	$1,867	$491	$2,358
Desert Arroyo Middle School	Public		33401 N 56th St	Cave Creek	85331	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(480) 575-2300																			(n/a)
Cactus Shadows High School	Public	8-12	5802 E. Dove Valley Rd.	Scottsdale	85266	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 575-2400	1,362	65	20.8		1,090 (80.0%)	13 (1.0%)	167 (12.3%)	33 (2.4%)	7 (0.5%)	4 (0.3%)	48 (3.5%)	75.4	55^th of 271 public high schools	79.7%		68.6	67^th of 270 public high schools	75.2%	12							68.0							58.0			29.0	$2,314	$60	$114	$234	$1,669	$471	$2,140
Sonoran Trails Middle School	Public	6-8	5555 East Pinnacle Vista Drive	Phoenix	85054	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 272-8600	615	32	19.4		486 (79.0%)	4 (0.7%)	88 (14.3%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	28 (4.6%)	55	207^th of 552 public middle schools	62.5%		70	131^st of 550 public middle schools	76.2%	76					47.0	44.0						40.0	36.0			39.0		$2,721	$60	$60	$181	$2,035	$566	$2,600
Desert Willow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4322 E Desert Willow Parkway	Cave Creek	85331	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 575-2800	338	23	14.7		237 (70.1%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (21.0%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.2%)	75.2	204^th of 909 public elementary schools	77.6%		83	144^th of 912 public elementary schools	84.2%	60	66.0	61.0	60.0	60.0				39.0	46.0	70.0	58.0				54.0			$2,222	$129	$50	$308	$1,544	$499	$2,043
Lone Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5250 E. Montgomery Rd.	Cave Creek	85331	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 437-3000	376	25	14.9		304 (80.9%)	2 (0.5%)	36 (9.6%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (6.4%)	86.3	105^th of 909 public elementary schools	88.4%		84.4	129^th of 912 public elementary schools	85.9%	24	70.0	67.0	54.0	85.0				81.0	62.0	63.0	66.0				48.0			$2,966	$130	$36	$296	$2,132	$668	$2,801
Horseshoe Trails Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5405 E. Pinnacle Vista Drive	Phoenix	85054	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 272-8500	424	24	17.7		339 (80.0%)	8 (1.9%)	38 (9.0%)	11 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.4%)	86.7	101^st of 909 public elementary schools	88.9%		86.7	104^th of 912 public elementary schools	88.6%	3	57.0	79.0	73.0	46.0				68.0	78.0	78.0	52.0				70.0			$2,778	$105	$60	$271	$1,959	$653	$2,612
Cave Creek Academy of Excellence	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	33016 N 60th St	Scottsdale	85266	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(480) 575-2042	19				13 (68.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (31.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														41.0				$863	$04	$324	$332	$531	$04	$535

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
East Valley Institute of Technology	0.39 mi	52
Candeo Schools Inc.	1.87 mi	1
Candeo Schools Inc.	1.87 mi	2	12^th
Stepping Stones Academy	6.58 mi	1	28^th
Paradise Valley Unified District	7.04 mi	46	106^th

See the top AZ Arizona districts

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.