Summary:
Tonto Basin Elementary District is a small school district in Arizona that serves the Tonto Basin area, with only one school, Tonto Basin Elementary, which educates students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. With a total enrollment of just 84 students, Tonto Basin Elementary faces unique challenges compared to larger school districts, as evidenced by its fluctuating academic performance and high dropout rate.
Tonto Basin Elementary's student population is predominantly white (79.76%), with a significant Hispanic population (15.48%) and a small percentage of students identifying as two or more races (4.76%). The school's test scores are generally below the state averages across various subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates ranging from 22% to 50% in English Language Arts and just 11% in 5th grade science, compared to state averages of 37% to 45% and 34%, respectively. Additionally, the school has a relatively high dropout rate of 8.3%, which is concerning given the small size of the student body.
Despite the district's higher-than-average spending of $17,317 per student, the school's academic performance has been inconsistent, with its statewide ranking ranging from 25th out of 1,000 elementary schools in 2021-2022 to 731st out of 1,245 in 2022-2023. This decline in performance, coupled with the high percentage of students (78.57%) qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, suggests that the Tonto Basin Elementary District may need to explore targeted strategies to address the unique challenges faced by this small, economically disadvantaged school community.
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