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J. O. Combs Middle School

Public Grades K-8

Summary

J. O. Combs Middle School is a public school located in San Tan Valley, Arizona, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 596 students. The school is part of the J O Combs Unified School District, which is ranked 200 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

J. O. Combs Middle School consistently underperforms the state average in proficiency rates for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics across grades 7 and 8. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 8th-grade ELA proficiency rate is 33% compared to the state's 40%, and its 8th-grade Math proficiency rate is 19% compared to the state's 27%. The school's Science proficiency rate for 8th grade is also consistently lower than the state average, ranging from 16% to 17% in recent years, compared to the state's 24% to 30%. Interestingly, Combs Traditional Academy, a K-6 school within the same district, outperforms J. O. Combs Middle School in both ELA and Math across multiple grade levels.

J. O. Combs Middle School has experienced relatively high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 3.8% to 6.1% for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, which is significantly higher than the typical middle school dropout rates in Arizona. The school's free and reduced lunch rate has also fluctuated significantly, from 17.15% in 2021-2022 to 44.89% in 2022-2023, which may indicate instability in the school's demographic composition and potentially contribute to the academic challenges observed. The school's per-student spending has ranged from $4,767 to $7,063 over the past few years, with the most recent year (2021-2022) at $5,736 per student, and the student-teacher ratio has varied from 19.8 in 2023-2024 to 24.9 in 2021-2022, which may impact the school's ability to provide individualized attention and support to students.

581

Students ?

20.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$5,736

Per pupil spending ?

44.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

37611 N Pecan Crk
San Tan Valley, AZ 85140-5100

(480) 882-3510

District: J O Combs Unified School District

Students who attend J. O. Combs Middle School usually attend:

High:

Combs High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.6%

Hispanic:

43.5%

African American:

5.0%

See top rated Arizona public schools

Compare J. O. Combs Middle School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 37th percentile in 2015 → 26th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (23% vs 33% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg22%

Arizona avg33%

410^th of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 37% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

200^th of 289J O Combs Unified School 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	20.6	410 of 552	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	417 of 550	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.1	515 of 854	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.5	429 of 605	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.3	468 of 832	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.9	357 of 605	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.1	436 of 711	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	38.9	381 of 695	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	38.9	371 of 677	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	31.4	327 of 521	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	47.5	350 of 690	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	55.0	348 of 787	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	52.2	362 of 772	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.8	296 of 685	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.2	347 of 692	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	45.7	354 of 663	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	40.4	233 of 400	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.6	322 of 573	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	41.8	260 of 404	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	42.3	196 of 606	67.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	14.7	336 of 395	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.8	330 of 386	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.5	485 of 806	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.2	418 of 494	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.1	486 of 820	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.3	313 of 466	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.4	400 of 624	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	53.6	18 of 37	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.2	129 of 166	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	15.4	304 of 345	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	269 of 329	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.6	527 of 760	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	14.2	365 of 392	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	31.8	528 of 802	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.2	312 of 387	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	439 of 543	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	33.3	143 of 257	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	19.2	289 of 344	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.3	277 of 320	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.9	435 of 717	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.7	299 of 369	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.2	345 of 503	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	321 of 379	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	316 of 370	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.2	530 of 810	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.4	366 of 476	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.3	412 of 818	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.7	293 of 435	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.4	415 of 617	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	7.2	380 of 384	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	48.1	300 of 650	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	22.5	117 of 159	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.9	361 of 390	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	52.8	39 of 108	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.9	563 of 789	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.5	140 of 178	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	8.1	265 of 277	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.5	278 of 288	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	550 of 675	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	404 of 446	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	36.7	511 of 780	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.2	278 of 337	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	363 of 436	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)68th percentile+24 vs school

Pacific Islander (2021)64th percentile+20 vs school

Foster Care (2023)51st percentile+12 vs school

Homeless (2021)44th percentile~ school

African American (2023)42nd percentile~ school

Asian (2021)36th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2021)29th percentile-15 vs school

Native American (2023)26th percentile-13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)16th percentile-10 vs school

Male (2025)15th percentile-10 vs school

Female (2025)15th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2025)12th percentile-14 vs school

White (2025)4th percentile-21 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)1st percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts30%-11 vs state

Mathematics18%-9 vs state

Science17%-13 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Saturday, August 4, 2018

Best place to be. Some of the best students. Close Quote

Schools Near J. O. Combs Middle School

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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 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
J. O. Combs Middle School	Public	K-8	37611 N Pecan Crk	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 882-3510	581	29	20.0		259 (44.6%)	29 (5.0%)	253 (43.5%)	3 (0.5%)	9 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (4.6%)								(n/a)					27.0	33.0					17.0	19.0		17.0	$5,736	$521	$52	$1,094	$4,572	$591	$5,163
Ellsworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	38454 N Carolina Ave	Queen Creek	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 882-3520	516	30	17.2		213 (41.3%)	36 (7.0%)	228 (44.2%)	6 (1.2%)	9 (1.7%)	4 (0.8%)	20 (3.9%)	15.2	783^rd of 909 public elementary schools	13.9%		12.4	832^nd of 912 public elementary schools	8.8%	49	29.0	25.0	22.0	21.0					16.0				26.0		$6,414	$496	$67	$1,059	$5,635	$215	$5,851
Combs Traditional Academy	Public	K-6	38300 N Gantzel Rd	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 987-5320	211	17	12.7		93 (44.1%)	10 (4.7%)	93 (44.1%)	4 (1.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.7%)	49.2	393^rd of 909 public elementary schools	56.8%		61.2	319^th of 912 public elementary schools	65.0%	74	44.0	43.0	44.0				45.0		40.0				40.0		$6,463	$342	$66	$750	$5,791	$264	$6,056
Jack Harmon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	39315 N Cortona Dr	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 882-3500	382	21	18.1		172 (45.0%)	25 (6.5%)	151 (39.5%)	6 (1.6%)	9 (2.4%)	6 (1.6%)	13 (3.4%)	29.1	569^th of 909 public elementary schools	37.4%		14	801^st of 912 public elementary schools	12.2%	232	27.0	45.0	23.0				38.0	42.0					23.0		$7,267	$1,024	$71	$2,118	$5,880	$293	$6,173
Circle Cross K8 STEM Academy	Public	K-8	35900 N Charbray Dr	San Tan Valley	85143	Pinal County	Florence Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 987-7600	728	38	19.4		312 (42.9%)	38 (5.2%)	307 (42.2%)	14 (1.9%)	21 (2.9%)	7 (1.0%)	29 (4.0%)	21.6	679^th of 909 public elementary schools	25.3%		24	640^th of 912 public elementary schools	29.8%	39	20.0	30.0	24.0	23.0	32.0	38.0	43.0	24.0	34.0	16.0	16.0	24.0	32.0	25.0	$6,667	$399	$273	$1,072	$5,463	$531	$5,994
Schnepf Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	23161 E Grange Pkwy	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Queen Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 987-5935	1,044	50	20.7		636 (60.9%)	29 (2.8%)	290 (27.8%)	21 (2.0%)	10 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (5.5%)	72.4	230^th of 909 public elementary schools	74.7%		74.3	208^th of 912 public elementary schools	77.2%	22	51.0	62.0	47.0	53.0			69.0	55.0	56.0	56.0			43.0		$6,895	$2,776		$5,551	$2,667	$1,452	$4,119
Kathryn Sue Simonton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	40300 N Simonton Blvd	Queen Creek	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 987-5330	384	20	19.2		192 (50.0%)	21 (5.5%)	139 (36.2%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.3%)	35.3	508^th of 909 public elementary schools	44.1%		27.8	601^st of 912 public elementary schools	34.1%	93	49.0	34.0	27.0	38.0			50.0	25.0					28.0		$6,407	$488	$129	$1,105	$5,503	$287	$5,790
Legacy Traditional-San Tan	Public, Charter	K-8	1679 W. Empire Blvd	San Tan Valley	85143	Pinal County	Legacy Traditional School-San Tan	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(480) 576-4600	749	28	26.7		291 (38.9%)	80 (10.7%)	283 (37.8%)	26 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.8%)	63 (8.4%)	42.6	451^st of 909 public elementary schools	50.4%		39.7	480^th of 912 public elementary schools	47.4%	29	48.0	44.0	48.0	50.0	47.0	63.0	36.0	36.0	29.0	26.0	27.0	32.0	35.0	36.0
Happy Valley School East Campus	Public, Charter	K-6	266 E Westbrooke Rd	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	Happy Valley East	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 888-1342	396	22	18.0		210 (53.0%)	32 (8.1%)	140 (35.4%)	9 (2.3%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	31.2	551^st of 909 public elementary schools	39.4%		33.3	541^st of 912 public elementary schools	40.7%	10	34.0	53.0	31.0	48.0			24.0	31.0	17.0				28.0			$00			$00
Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	22801 E Via Del Jardin	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Queen Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 474-6900	1,153	55	20.9		791 (68.6%)	19 (1.6%)	259 (22.5%)	20 (1.7%)	4 (0.3%)	5 (0.4%)	55 (4.8%)	81.8	143^rd of 909 public elementary schools	84.3%		83	145^th of 912 public elementary schools	84.1%	2	60.0	64.0	55.0	55.0			70.0	64.0	65.0	56.0			53.0		$5,196	$213	$27	$453	$4,378	$578	$4,956

Frequently Asked Questions about J. O. Combs Middle School

How many students attend J. O. Combs Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 581 students attended J. O. Combs Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of J. O. Combs Middle School?

Students at J. O. Combs Middle School are 45% White, 44% Hispanic, 5% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What district is J. O. Combs Middle School in?

J O Combs Unified School District

What schools do graduates of J. O. Combs Middle School attend?

Students who attend J. O. Combs Middle School usually go on to attend:

High : Combs High School

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Latest Arizona data All new data »

2024–25 dropout ratesDec 2, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesNov 7, 2025

2024–25 AASA & AzSCI test scoresOct 10, 2025

2023–24 dropout ratesJun 30, 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.