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L. Thomas Heck Middle School

Q: Is L. Thomas Heck Middle School a good school?

L. Thomas Heck Middle School ranks 278 th of 552 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

278^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 552 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

L. Thomas Heck Middle School is a public middle school located in Litchfield Park, Arizona, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 544 students. The school is part of the Litchfield Elementary District, which is ranked 115 out of 289 districts in Arizona and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the years, dropping from a high of 135 out of 677 Arizona middle schools in 2015-2016 to a low of 372 out of 854 in 2022-2023, its performance varies significantly across different student subgroups. For example, in 2022-2023, the school ranked 159 out of 247 Arizona middle schools for Asian students, but only 281 out of 400 for African American students. The school's test scores are generally below the district and state averages across various subjects and grade levels, with particularly low performance in mathematics, where only 21% of 8th-graders were proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to 34% for the district and 27% for the state.

Compared to the nearby Western Sky Middle School and Wigwam Creek Middle School (both part of the Litchfield Elementary District), L. Thomas Heck Middle School generally underperforms in terms of statewide ranking, test scores, and dropout rates. Additionally, the school's percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients has increased from 19.79% in 2021-2022 to 47.94% in 2022-2023, suggesting a growing population of students from low-income families, which could be a contributing factor to the school's overall academic performance.

471

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,717

Per pupil spending ?

47.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12448 West Bethany Home Road
Litchfield Park, AZ 85340

(623) 547-1700

District: Litchfield Elementary District

Students who attend L. Thomas Heck Middle School usually attend:

High:

Millennium High School

Feeder schools for L. Thomas Heck Middle School:

Elementary:	Barbara B. Robey Elementary School
	Dreaming Summit Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.8%

White:

27.0%

African American:

11.3%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare L. Thomas Heck Middle School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 38th percentile in 2024 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (43% vs 35% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 50th (2025) from a 38th-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg45%

Arizona avg35%

278^th of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From top 31% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 12Elementary Schools in the Litchfield Elementary District

115^th of 289Litchfield 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
2025	38.7	278 of 552	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.3	339 of 550	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.6	372 of 854	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.1	356 of 605	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.0	315 of 832	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.2	220 of 605	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.0	208 of 711	70.7%	★★★★☆
2017	67.8	181 of 695	74.0%	★★★★☆
2016	76.4	135 of 677	80.1%	★★★★☆
2015	62.2	160 of 521	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.5	208 of 690	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	70.2	204 of 787	74.1%	★★★★☆
2012	69.4	217 of 772	71.9%	★★★★☆
2011	62.1	237 of 685	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.5	214 of 692	69.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	30.6	281 of 400	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	54.5	169 of 573	70.5%	★★★★☆
2019	45.1	4 of 9	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.8	20 of 125	84.0%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	38.7	159 of 247	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.6	186 of 192	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	37.7	275 of 404	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.8	22 of 42	47.6%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	45.7	177 of 606	70.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	35.7	228 of 395	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.9	241 of 386	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.4	321 of 806	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	27.7	347 of 494	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.0	287 of 820	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.6	192 of 466	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.4	163 of 624	73.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	35.1	197 of 345	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.3	218 of 329	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.9	375 of 760	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	24.1	299 of 392	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.9	300 of 802	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.9	137 of 387	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.4	143 of 543	73.7%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	31.9	231 of 257	10.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	43.1	159 of 344	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.9	169 of 320	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.3	417 of 717	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.4	189 of 369	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.5	123 of 503	75.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	269 of 379	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	291 of 370	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.5	424 of 810	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.2	348 of 476	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.3	323 of 818	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.4	201 of 435	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.8	215 of 617	65.2%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	49.1	63 of 110	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.7	63 of 68	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	55.7	44 of 143	69.2%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	51.8	183 of 384	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.2	162 of 211	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	62.4	181 of 650	72.2%	★★★★☆
2019	69.6	3 of 14	78.6%	★★★★☆
2018	59.8	20 of 43	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	72.5	35 of 159	78.0%	★★★★☆
2021	45.2	160 of 390	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	68.2	9 of 108	91.7%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	19.1	320 of 363	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.3	178 of 789	77.4%	★★★★☆
2018	29.6	127 of 178	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	38.2	181 of 277	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.3	236 of 288	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.9	406 of 675	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.2	328 of 446	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	56.3	296 of 780	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.4	182 of 337	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.3	176 of 436	59.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Pacific Islander (2021)92nd percentile+30 vs school

Native American (2023)78th percentile+22 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)71st percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)52nd percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)43rd percentile-7 vs school

Military Connected (2023)43rd percentile-14 vs school

Female (2025)42nd percentile-7 vs school

Asian (2023)36th percentile-21 vs school

White (2025)35th percentile-15 vs school

African American (2023)30th percentile-27 vs school

Male (2025)29th percentile-21 vs school

Special Education (2023)12th percentile-45 vs school

Homeless (2021)10th percentile-52 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts48%+9 vs state

Mathematics43%+10 vs state

Science34%~ state avg

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

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2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The teachers seem to do a good job and the classes are not crowded.
Are there issues such as bullying? Yes, but there are those issues everywhere-
The school offers band, art club, volleyball and chorus to name a few......
It is a fairly new school that provide security cameras.
I believe this school will become more desirable with time as the Glendale area continues to build in population. Coming from Goodyear I welcome the small class size and the open opportunities for my kids! Close Quote

Schools Near L. Thomas Heck 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
L. Thomas Heck Middle School	Public	K-8	12448 West Bethany Home Road	Litchfield Park	85340	Maricopa County	Litchfield Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 547-1700	471	37	12.7		127 (27.0%)	53 (11.3%)	230 (48.8%)	24 (5.1%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (6.2%)								(n/a)	50.0		64.0		45.0	33.0	56.0		61.0		34.0	21.0	38.0	31.0	$6,717	$393		$785	$5,422	$903	$6,325
Crown Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	12450 W Maryland Ave	Litchfield Park	85340	Maricopa County	Crown Charter School Inc	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 535-9300	294				57 (19.4%)	52 (17.7%)	163 (55.4%)	6 (2.0%)	3 (1.0%)	7 (2.4%)	6 (2.0%)	54.8	351^st of 909 public elementary schools	61.4%		45.8	434^th of 912 public elementary schools	52.4%	83	24.0	66.0					56.0	44.0								$00			$00
Heritage Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-8	6805 N 125th Ave	Glendale	85307	Maricopa County	Heritage Elementary School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 742-3956	832	28	29.7		123 (14.8%)	167 (20.1%)	466 (56.0%)	9 (1.1%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	60 (7.2%)	37.7	483^rd of 909 public elementary schools	46.9%		33.7	536^th of 912 public elementary schools	41.2%	53	46.0	44.0	37.0	33.0	45.0	32.0	48.0	38.0	36.0	22.0		28.0	27.0	21.0		$00			$00
Barbara B. Robey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5340 N. Wigwam Creek Blvd	Litchfield Park	85340	Maricopa County	Litchfield Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 547-1400	595	33	18.3		140 (23.5%)	97 (16.3%)	283 (47.6%)	18 (3.0%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	49 (8.2%)	41.2	460^th of 909 public elementary schools	49.4%		46.9	427^th of 912 public elementary schools	53.2%	33	26.0	44.0	43.0				40.0	29.0	43.0				46.0		$8,267	$622	$06	$1,251	$6,704	$934	$7,638
Dreaming Summit Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	13335 W Missouri Ave	Litchfield Park	85340	Maricopa County	Litchfield Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 547-1200	655	36	18.1		178 (27.2%)	60 (9.2%)	331 (50.5%)	21 (3.2%)	8 (1.2%)	7 (1.1%)	50 (7.6%)	46	419^th of 909 public elementary schools	53.9%		40.1	474^th of 912 public elementary schools	48.0%	55	32.0	52.0	39.0				45.0	44.0	47.0				33.0		$7,165	$326	$10	$662	$5,917	$912	$6,828
Luke Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	7300 N Dysart Rd	Glendale	85307	Maricopa County	Dysart Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 876-7300	702	37	18.9		194 (27.6%)	76 (10.8%)	313 (44.6%)	48 (6.8%)	17 (2.4%)	5 (0.7%)	49 (7.0%)	47	411^th of 909 public elementary schools	54.8%		45.7	435^th of 912 public elementary schools	52.3%	24	41.0	48.0	42.0	42.0	47.0	62.0	34.0	43.0	54.0	24.0	20.0	39.0	44.0	44.0	$10,893	$632	$914	$2,178	$7,846	$1,501	$9,347
Copper King Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	10730 W Campbell Ave	Phoenix	85037	Maricopa County	Pendergast Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-2580	738	41	18.0		62 (8.4%)	84 (11.4%)	554 (75.1%)	7 (0.9%)	13 (1.8%)	3 (0.4%)	15 (2.0%)	26.5	601^st of 909 public elementary schools	33.9%		19.1	719^th of 912 public elementary schools	21.2%	118	23.0	50.0	31.0	28.0	33.0	39.0	34.0	44.0	27.0	14.0	22.0	31.0	23.0	25.0	$6,150	$605	$1,048	$2,258	$5,274		$4,497
Corte Sierra Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3300 N Santa Fe Trl	Avondale	85392	Maricopa County	Litchfield Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 547-1000	564	29	19.7		120 (21.3%)	70 (12.4%)	312 (55.3%)	23 (4.1%)	5 (0.9%)	5 (0.9%)	29 (5.1%)	36.5	497^th of 909 public elementary schools	45.3%		61.9	313^th of 912 public elementary schools	65.7%	184	31.0	47.0	37.0				33.0	39.0	39.0				33.0		$7,545	$343	$09	$696	$5,977	$1,216	$7,193
Villa De Paz Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4940 N 103rd Ave	Phoenix	85037	Maricopa County	Pendergast Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-2490	550	33	16.6		60 (10.9%)	43 (7.8%)	412 (74.9%)	4 (0.7%)	12 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.3%)								(n/a)		35.0			22.0	19.0									$6,586	$942	$1,076	$2,960	$5,351		$4,568
Litchfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	255 E. Wigwam Blvd	Litchfield Park	85340	Maricopa County	Litchfield Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 535-6100	653	33	19.7		275 (42.1%)	28 (4.3%)	303 (46.4%)	10 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.1%)	80.9	149^th of 909 public elementary schools	83.6%		69.1	257^th of 912 public elementary schools	71.8%	108	45.0	63.0	71.0				52.0	72.0	66.0				61.0		$7,624	$243	$201	$688	$6,335	$844	$7,179

Frequently Asked Questions about L. Thomas Heck Middle School

What schools do graduates of L. Thomas Heck Middle School attend?

Students who attend L. Thomas Heck Middle School usually go on to attend:

High : Millennium High School

What district is L. Thomas Heck Middle School in?

Litchfield Elementary District

Is L. Thomas Heck Middle School a good school?

L. Thomas Heck Middle School ranks 278^th of 552 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of L. Thomas Heck Middle School?

Students at L. Thomas Heck Middle School are 49% Hispanic, 27% White, 11% African American, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend L. Thomas Heck Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 471 students attended L. Thomas Heck Middle School.

Rate L. Thomas Heck Middle School!

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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.