Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain

Public, Charter Grades K-8

813^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 11% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain is a public charter elementary school serving 879 students in grades K-8 in Tolleson, Arizona. The school is part of the P.L.C. Charter Schools district, which is ranked 254 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Arizona elementary schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 813 out of 909 schools for the 2024-2025 school year.

The school's performance data is concerning, with consistently low test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts range from 18% to 40%, compared to the state averages of 36% to 46%. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates range from 12% to 24%, compared to the state averages of 27% to 42%. Additionally, the school has seen a steady increase in its dropout rate, rising from 3.3% in 2019-2020 to 5.2% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Arizona Desert Elementary School, which is also in the Tolleson Elementary District, Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain generally performs worse across key metrics. The school's struggles to serve its diverse student population effectively are also evident, with the school's rankings for subgroups such as female students, male students, Hispanic students, and English Language Learners consistently in the bottom half of the state, with many subgroups ranking in the bottom quarter. While the school's funding and spending have fluctuated, the inconsistency may contribute to the school's challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students.

895

Students ?

19.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

47%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2504 S 91st Ave
Tolleson, AZ 85353-8921

(623) 474-2120

District: P.L.C. Charter Schools

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

82.7%

African American:

11.1%

White:

3.5%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 45th percentile in 2015 → 11th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (23% vs 36% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 34 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg23%

Arizona avg36%

Elementary school

813^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 34 pts since 2015

From bottom 45% (2015) to bottom 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

403^rd of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From bottom 46% (2015) to bottom 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

254^th of 289P.L.C. Charter Schools 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	13.8	813 of 909	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.4	814 of 912	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.2	883 of 1245	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.3	740 of 1000	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	946 of 1226	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.4	936 of 1039	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.4	784 of 1109	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	36.2	670 of 1106	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.0	602 of 1079	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	37.7	530 of 955	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	42.8	624 of 1079	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	50.5	586 of 1158	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	49.4	598 of 1141	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.7	584 of 1075	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.5	596 of 1090	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.3	552 of 1062	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	25.9	495 of 607	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.9	444 of 895	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.8	31 of 100	69.0%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	25.9	526 of 620	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	20.7	381 of 451	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.6	410 of 975	57.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	5.8	578 of 589	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.4	567 of 602	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.0	884 of 1219	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.6	705 of 824	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	899 of 1219	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.0	816 of 862	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	30.5	698 of 1023	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	17.0	440 of 496	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	428 of 486	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.2	800 of 1170	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.3	560 of 716	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.5	920 of 1198	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.3	659 of 709	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	36.0	582 of 911	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	31.9	324 of 423	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	21.7	461 of 556	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.2	701 of 1116	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.6	522 of 618	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.2	544 of 820	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	13.7	544 of 626	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	594 of 628	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	27.6	862 of 1216	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.3	683 of 830	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.3	1006 of 1220	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.8	812 of 850	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.4	780 of 1032	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	23.7	542 of 617	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.8	881 of 1027	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	31.4	873 of 1201	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	53.7	456 of 1024	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.3	173 of 800	78.4%	★★★★☆
2021	30.0	871 of 1161	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	21.7	403 of 552	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	429 of 550	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.7	507 of 854	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.4	492 of 605	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.2	599 of 832	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.4	541 of 605	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.7	478 of 711	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	50.8	278 of 695	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.3	264 of 677	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	38.5	279 of 521	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	48.2	339 of 690	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	53.8	361 of 787	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	49.0	392 of 772	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	45.4	378 of 685	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	40.2	422 of 692	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	40.1	403 of 663	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	34.2	260 of 400	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.2	165 of 573	71.2%	★★★★☆
2018	33.5	78 of 125	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	9.0	398 of 404	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	35.6	76 of 145	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.7	298 of 606	50.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	17.6	321 of 395	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	321 of 386	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	496 of 806	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.8	407 of 494	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	618 of 820	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.8	432 of 466	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.3	384 of 624	38.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	33.1	202 of 345	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.2	220 of 329	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.5	405 of 760	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.3	305 of 392	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.4	555 of 802	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.2	338 of 387	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.7	314 of 543	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.5	205 of 257	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	26.9	227 of 320	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.4	294 of 717	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	28.2	255 of 369	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.6	303 of 503	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	23.5	279 of 379	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	295 of 370	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.5	525 of 810	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.9	540 of 818	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.1	420 of 435	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.1	476 of 617	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	38.9	382 of 650	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	36.3	502 of 789	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	30.1	480 of 675	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	68.8	93 of 446	79.1%	★★★★☆
2021	52.9	331 of 780	57.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

White (2023)55th percentile+26 vs school

Special Education (2021)27th percentile+4 vs school

Homeless (2021)23rd percentile~ school

African American (2023)18th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)17th percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)16th percentile-14 vs school

Asian (2021)15th percentile-8 vs school

Male (2025)13th percentile+3 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)12th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2025)11th percentile~ school

Female (2025)2nd percentile-9 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2023)48th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)41st percentile+14 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)41st percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2021)36th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2023)35th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)29th percentile+7 vs school

White (2023)29th percentile-12 vs school

Male (2025)26th percentile~ school

Homeless (2021)20th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2025)19th percentile-8 vs school

Asian (2021)1st percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts28%-12 vs state

Science24%-8 vs state

Mathematics18%-16 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a citizen
Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Ron Alexander was the wrong person to help run PLC
He's gone now but the school still uses Common Core which is terrible and the admin staff doesn't know what their doing....CEO doesn't know anything about running a school in my opinion. Keep your kids far away..... Close Quote

Schools Near Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain

Load more schools when map is moved

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 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
Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain	Public, Charter	K-8	2504 S 91st Ave	Tolleson	85353	Maricopa County	P.L.C. Charter Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 474-2120	895	45	19.8		31 (3.5%)	99 (11.1%)	740 (82.7%)	8 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (1.9%)	13.8	813^th of 909 public elementary schools	10.6%		13.4	814^th of 912 public elementary schools	10.7%	1	21.0	40.0	18.0	23.0	38.0	30.0	24.0	22.0	17.0	12.0	16.0	15.0	20.0	29.0		$00			$00
Dos Rios Elementary	Public	K-8	2150 S 87th Ave	Tolleson	85353	Maricopa County	Union Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 474-7004	614	34	18.3		24 (3.9%)	86 (14.0%)	461 (75.1%)	9 (1.5%)	24 (3.9%)	7 (1.1%)	3 (0.5%)								(n/a)				17.0	16.0	24.0							14.0	18.0	$10,639	$1,363	$1,611	$4,337	$6,334	$1,332	$7,665
Union Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	3834 S 91st Ave	Tolleson	85353	Maricopa County	Union Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 478-5000	313	21	14.9		10 (3.2%)	54 (17.3%)	234 (74.8%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.6%)	4 (1.3%)	5 (1.6%)								(n/a)															$12,071	$1,487	$1,469	$4,443	$7,587	$1,528	$9,115
Union Connects	Public, Virtual	K-8	3834 S 91st Ave	Tolleson	85353	Maricopa County	Union Elementary District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(623) 478-5005	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Country Place Elementary	Public	K-8	10207 W Country Place Blvd	Tolleson	85353	Maricopa County	Littleton Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 478-6100	900	48	18.6		42 (4.7%)	106 (11.8%)	712 (79.1%)	4 (0.4%)	11 (1.2%)	8 (0.9%)	17 (1.9%)	16.7	752^nd of 909 public elementary schools	17.3%		20.2	696^th of 912 public elementary schools	23.7%	56	15.0	38.0	30.0	36.0	33.0	30.0	14.0	28.0	18.0	14.0			19.0	15.0	$9,848	$761	$311	$1,833	$6,899	$1,877	$8,776
Sun Canyon School	Public	PK, KG-5	8150 W Durango St	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-2000	563	24	23.4		14 (2.5%)	60 (10.7%)	464 (82.4%)	6 (1.1%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.3%)	23.5	647^th of 909 public elementary schools	28.8%		21.7	672^nd of 912 public elementary schools	26.3%	25	18.0	37.0	27.0				39.0	40.0	28.0				16.0			$00			$00
Fine Arts Academy	Public	K-8	1700 S 103rd Ave	Tolleson	85353	Maricopa County	Littleton Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 478-6400	811	40	20.2		48 (5.9%)	117 (14.4%)	596 (73.5%)	11 (1.4%)	8 (1.0%)	4 (0.5%)	27 (3.3%)	8.1	887^th of 909 public elementary schools	2.4%		10.3	866^th of 912 public elementary schools	5.0%	21	17.0	27.0	16.0	20.0	19.0	22.0	14.0	15.0	13.0				15.0	12.0	$9,829	$696	$330	$1,722	$6,781	$2,022	$8,803
Tuscano Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3850 S 79th Ave	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-2300	532	29	18.3		32 (6.0%)	80 (15.0%)	396 (74.4%)	5 (0.9%)	5 (0.9%)	5 (0.9%)	9 (1.7%)	18.6	720^th of 909 public elementary schools	20.8%		11.3	851^st of 912 public elementary schools	6.7%	131	19.0	22.0	29.0				22.0	18.0	45.0				22.0			$00			$00
Academy of Math and Science Avondale	Public, Charter	K-8	10649 W Buckeye Rd	Phoenix	85353	Maricopa County	Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 888-6697	1,175	48	24.4		84 (7.1%)	201 (17.1%)	857 (72.9%)	24 (2.0%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25.6	613^th of 909 public elementary schools	32.6%		27.3	607^th of 912 public elementary schools	33.4%	6	15.0	38.0	32.0	41.0	42.0	56.0	26.0	24.0	30.0	27.0	27.0	35.0	35.0	47.0	$8,289	$1,247	$1,548	$4,042	$3,467	$2,027	$5,494
Arizona Desert Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	8803 W Van Buren St	Tolleson	85353	Maricopa County	Tolleson Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 907-5260	843	43	19.4		35 (4.2%)	88 (10.4%)	693 (82.2%)	10 (1.2%)	7 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.2%)	37	489^th of 909 public elementary schools	46.2%		26.8	613^th of 912 public elementary schools	32.8%	124	33.0	47.0	39.0	26.0	43.0	37.0	41.0	33.0	43.0		22.0	25.0	34.0	28.0	$10,979	$1,022	$918	$2,961	$6,932	$2,107	$9,039

Frequently Asked Questions about Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain

Is Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain a good school?

Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain ranks in the bottom 10.6% of Arizona elementary schools.

What district is Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain in?

P.L.C. Charter Schools

How many students attend Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain?

In the 2024-25 school year, 895 students attended Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain.

What is the racial makeup of Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain?

Students at Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain are 83% Hispanic, 11% African American, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

Rate Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AZArizona Elementary School Rankings

AZArizona District Rankings

Schools in Tolleson, AZ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain!

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.