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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Arizona rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Arizona do not yet include the AzSCI Science tests, which have not yet been released by the Arizona Department of Education

Santa Maria Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

495^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 536 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 8% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Santa Maria Middle School serves 591 students in grades 6–8 in Phoenix’s Fowler Elementary District, alongside several nearby middle-school options. Its academic results are close to those of nearby schools with the same grade span, but they remain well below state results. The clearest concern is eighth-grade Science: 8% of students were proficient, below all six nearby same-span schools with reported results and 22 points below the state’s 30%.

Santa Maria is relatively stronger locally in all-grades ELA and Mathematics than its state comparisons suggest. Its ELA proficiency was 21%, compared with a 20% average among nearby same-span schools and 41% statewide; in Mathematics, it was 11%, versus 8% nearby and 33% statewide. The school was 1 point above the district in ELA but 4 points below it in Mathematics. Results also differ by grade: ELA proficiency was 28% in sixth grade, higher than nearby reported results, but 13% in eighth grade—below every nearby same-span school with a reported result and 26 points below the state. In eighth-grade Science, the nearby-school average was 12%, and the district result was 9%.

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Maria 495th of 536 Arizona schools, in the 8th percentile with 0 stars for 2025–26. That percentile has improved from 2 in 2023–24 and 3 in 2024–25, though it remains below the 38th percentile in 2017–18. SchoolDigger’s statewide effectiveness ranking for Multi-racial Students rose from the 4th percentile in 2020–21 to the 30th in 2022–23, a notable improvement in how well the school serves this group by that measure. Its ranking for African American Students fell from the 53rd percentile in 2017–18 to the 3rd in 2022–23. The latest student–teacher ratio was 22.7, the highest among nearby schools serving grades 6–8; the only reported free/reduced-lunch rate was 57% in 2022–23. Group rankings are year-specific comparisons, not measures of students’ potential.

591

Students ?

22.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

43.1%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

7250 W Lower Buckeye Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85043-7503

(623) 707-1100

District: Fowler Elementary District

Students who attend Santa Maria Middle School usually attend:

High:

Sierra Linda High School

Feeder schools for Santa Maria Middle School:

Elementary:	Sun Canyon School
	Sunridge Elementary School
	Tuscano Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.0%

African American:

14.7%

White:

4.2%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Santa Maria Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 20th percentile in 2015 → 8th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (16% vs 37% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school16%

District avg17%

Arizona avg37%

495^th of 536

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 23 pts since 2017

From bottom 31% (2017) to bottom 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Fowler Elementary District

258^th of 267Fowler 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
2026	12.4	495 of 536	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.1	537 of 552	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.5	539 of 550	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	752 of 854	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.6	551 of 605	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.9	680 of 832	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.7	454 of 605	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.7	438 of 711	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	27.7	482 of 695	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	22.1	418 of 521	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	31.1	491 of 690	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.0	513 of 787	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.0	437 of 772	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.4	398 of 685	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	39.0	427 of 692	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	51.0	319 of 663	51.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	10.7	390 of 400	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	25.6	485 of 573	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.1	59 of 125	52.8%	★★★☆☆

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
2026	10.1	351 of 370	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.0	386 of 395	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.0	385 of 386	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	685 of 806	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.2	472 of 494	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	30.3	545 of 820	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.4	357 of 466	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.5	434 of 624	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	15.8	292 of 338	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.7	326 of 345	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.1	316 of 329	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.2	647 of 760	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	356 of 392	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	29.4	577 of 802	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.1	270 of 387	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.8	322 of 543	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	33.5	140 of 257	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	14.1	301 of 328	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.1	339 of 344	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	530 of 717	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.7	283 of 503	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	5.5	367 of 370	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.7	374 of 379	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	742 of 810	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.6	458 of 476	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.5	787 of 818	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.1	392 of 435	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.7	362 of 617	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	36.1	268 of 384	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.7	623 of 650	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	29.2	280 of 390	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	15.8	347 of 363	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	32.7	569 of 789	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	29.0	491 of 675	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.3	388 of 780	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.4	184 of 436	57.8%	★★★☆☆

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)51st percentile+33 vs school

Homeless (2021)46th percentile+27 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)30th percentile+18 vs school

Native American (2021)28th percentile+10 vs school

White (2023)27th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)8th percentile~ school

Female (2026)5th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2023)4th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2023)2nd percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)1st percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts21%-20 vs state

Mathematics11%-22 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Santa Maria Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Santa Maria Middle School

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Santa Maria Middle School

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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				AASA English Language Arts (2026)					AASA Mathematics (2026)					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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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 All Grades	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics All Grades	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
Santa Maria Middle School	Public	6-8	7250 W Lower Buckeye Rd	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-1100	591	26	22.7	43.1%	25 (4.2%)	87 (14.7%)	449 (76.0%)	8 (1.4%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.2%)	12.4	495^th of 536 public middle schools	7.6%		9.1	537^th of 552 public middle schools	2.7%	42		28.0	24.0	13.0	21.0		17.0	10.0		11.0		$00			$00
Kings Ridge School	Public	2-8	3650 S 64th Ln	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Riverside Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 477-8960	371	20	18.5	58.2%	13 (3.5%)	68 (18.3%)	270 (72.8%)	5 (1.3%)	11 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	28.8	340^th of 536 public middle schools	36.6%		12.7	503^rd of 552 public middle schools	8.9%	163	16.0	47.0	24.0	25.0	28.0	25.0	28.0			18.0	$6,594	$304	$634	$1,241	$5,046	$611	$5,656
Western Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	6250 W Durango St	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-2200	553	28	19.7	55.9%	19 (3.4%)	60 (10.8%)	440 (79.6%)	6 (1.1%)	10 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	16 (2.9%)	8.6	523^rd of 536 public middle schools	2.4%		4.8	552^nd of 552 public middle schools	0.0%	29		14.0	24.0	16.0	17.0					4.0		$00			$00
Maricopa Institute of Technology (MIT)	Public	7-8	3900 S 55th Ave	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Riverside Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 272-0006	47	1	47.0	48.9%	4 (8.5%)	6 (12.8%)	34 (72.3%)	2 (4.3%)	1 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	89.8	42^nd of 536 public middle schools	92.2%		81.8	71^st of 552 public middle schools	87.1%	29			93.0	69.0	79.0				57.0	54.0	$7,978	$712	$2,845	$4,269	$1,303	$3,119	$4,421
Imagine Desert West Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	6738 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Imagine Desert West Middle Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 469-2024	437	21	20.8	63.2%	7 (1.6%)	32 (7.3%)	380 (87.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	10 (2.3%)	9.8	511^th of 536 public middle schools	4.7%		7.4	548^th of 552 public middle schools	0.7%	37		20.0	17.0	16.0	18.0		17.0		12.0	11.0		$00			$00
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts	Public	6-8	2730 N 79th Ave	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5300	545	24	22.4	60.7%	14 (2.6%)	56 (10.3%)	463 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	12.6	493^rd of 536 public middle schools	8.0%		10.6	529^th of 552 public middle schools	4.2%	36			24.0	24.0	24.0				8.0	6.0	$12,164	$1,785	$486	$4,055	$8,362	$1,532	$9,894
Vista College Prep Sueno Park	Public, Charter	5-8	1720 N 45th Ave.	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Vista College Preparatory Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 237-6273	538	28	19.2	64.3%	3 (0.6%)	61 (11.3%)	467 (86.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	36.3	287^th of 536 public middle schools	46.5%		31.5	322^nd of 552 public middle schools	41.7%	35	17.0	24.0	38.0	34.0	29.0	29.0	40.0	22.0	40.0	33.0	$8,083	$463	$1,412	$2,337	$4,809	$1,399	$6,208
Estrella Middle School College and Career Prep	Public	6-8	3733 N 75th Ave	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5400	650	32	20.3	61.8%	11 (1.7%)	22 (3.4%)	608 (93.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	9.9	509^th of 536 public middle schools	5.0%		10.7	528^th of 552 public middle schools	4.3%	19			23.0	16.0	20.0			10.0	9.0	10.0	$11,768	$3,000	$403	$6,404	$6,958	$1,407	$8,365
Morris K. Udall Escuela de Bellas Artes	Public	5-8	3348 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85009	Maricopa County	Isaac Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 442-2700	553	27	20.4	61.1%	7 (1.3%)	16 (2.9%)	526 (95.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12.9	491^st of 536 public middle schools	8.4%		14.1	490^th of 552 public middle schools	11.2%	1	19.0	15.0	27.0	19.0	20.0	26.0		15.0	14.0	14.0		$00			$00
Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism	Public	6-8	6308 W Campbell Ave	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-4900	510	28	18.5	60.6%	14 (2.7%)	43 (8.4%)	437 (85.7%)	3 (0.6%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	8.8	519^th of 536 public middle schools	3.2%		8.1	545^th of 552 public middle schools	1.3%	26			20.0	17.0	18.0			9.0	7.0	8.0	$14,529	$2,484	$477	$5,445	$9,954	$1,614	$11,568

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Maria Middle School

How many students attend Santa Maria Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 591 students attended Santa Maria Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Santa Maria Middle School?

Students at Santa Maria Middle School are 76% Hispanic, 15% African American, 4% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

What district is Santa Maria Middle School in?

Fowler Elementary District

What high school do graduates of Santa Maria Middle School attend?

Students who attend Santa Maria Middle School usually go on to attend Sierra Linda High School

Is Santa Maria Middle School a good school?

Santa Maria Middle School ranks in the bottom 7.6% of Arizona middle schools.

Rate Santa Maria Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AZArizona Middle School Rankings

AZArizona District Rankings

Schools in Phoenix, AZ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Santa Maria Middle School!

Latest Arizona data All new data »

2015–16 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 AASA test scoresOct 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesDec 2, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesNov 7, 2025

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.