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

Safford Middle School

Q: Is Safford Middle School a good school?

Safford Middle School ranks 307 th of 552 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

307^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 552 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 44% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Safford Middle School is a public middle school in Safford, Arizona, serving 411 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the Safford Unified District, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past 10 years, Safford Middle School's statewide ranking has fluctuated, currently standing at 307 out of 552 middle schools in Arizona with a 2-star rating.

Safford Middle School's academic performance, as measured by state assessment proficiency rates, is generally below the state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts were 42% for 7th grade and 37% for 8th grade, compared to the state averages of 42% and 40%, respectively. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates for both 7th and 8th grades were 24%, compared to the state averages of 27%. The school has also experienced relatively high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 5.2% to 7.1% between 2021-2022 and 2023-2024, which are higher than the state average.

Interestingly, Safford Middle School's performance is generally lower than that of the nearby Thatcher Middle School, which is part of the Thatcher Unified District. Thatcher Middle School consistently outperforms Safford Middle School in academic proficiency rates. Additionally, Safford Middle School's performance has shown a declining trend over the past few years, suggesting the school may be facing challenges in maintaining or improving its academic outcomes.

375

Students ?

20.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$4,927

Per pupil spending ?

49.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

698 W 11th St
Safford, AZ 85546-2998

(928) 348-7040

District: Safford Unified District

Students who attend Safford Middle School usually attend:

High:

Safford High School

Feeder schools for Safford Middle School:

Elementary:	Dorothy Stinson School
	Lafe Nelson School
	Ruth Powell Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

54.1%

White:

40.5%

Two or more races:

2.4%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Safford Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2015 → 44th in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg31%

Arizona avg33%

307^th of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 50% (2015) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

182^nd of 289Safford Unified 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	34.0	307 of 552	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.3	350 of 550	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.6	426 of 854	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.3	363 of 605	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.7	289 of 832	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.2	295 of 605	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.4	236 of 711	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.8	298 of 695	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.2	255 of 677	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	42.8	263 of 521	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	70.4	192 of 690	72.2%	★★★★☆
2013	58.4	316 of 787	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.0	262 of 772	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.4	222 of 685	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.4	210 of 692	69.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	68.1	83 of 400	79.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	32.1	252 of 395	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.6	290 of 386	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.0	447 of 806	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.5	321 of 494	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.3	272 of 820	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.9	234 of 466	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.9	185 of 624	70.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	31.4	218 of 345	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.6	250 of 329	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.7	393 of 760	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.5	245 of 392	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.3	229 of 802	71.4%	★★★★☆
2019	42.3	199 of 387	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.3	216 of 543	60.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	38.6	177 of 344	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.3	215 of 320	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	361 of 717	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.4	220 of 369	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.6	141 of 503	72.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	20.8	295 of 379	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	287 of 370	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.1	402 of 810	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	21.8	367 of 476	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	52.0	310 of 818	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.9	288 of 435	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.3	251 of 617	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	42.9	342 of 650	47.4%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	41.2	189 of 390	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	20.0	313 of 363	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	53.6	197 of 789	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	35.2	101 of 178	43.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	22.1	224 of 277	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.2	246 of 288	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.9	503 of 675	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.3	388 of 446	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	50.9	349 of 780	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	22.7	267 of 337	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.5	202 of 436	53.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2023)79th percentile+29 vs school

Native American (2021)52nd percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)49th percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)47th percentile-18 vs school

Hispanic (2025)37th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2025)36th percentile-8 vs school

Male (2025)22nd percentile-22 vs school

White (2025)19th percentile-25 vs school

Special Education (2023)14th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts40%~ state avg

Science26%-4 vs state

Mathematics24%-3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Safford 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 Safford Middle School

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 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Safford Middle School	Public	7-8	698 W 11th St	Safford	85546	Graham County	Safford Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 348-7040	375	18	20.4		152 (40.5%)	4 (1.1%)	203 (54.1%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	34	307^th of 552 public middle schools	44.4%		28.3	350^th of 550 public middle schools	36.4%	43	42.0	37.0	24.0	24.0	26.0	$4,927	$264	$4,795
Thatcher Middle School	Public	7-8	1300 North 4th Avenue	Thatcher	85552	Graham County	Thatcher Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(928) 348-7260	273	19	14.1		185 (67.8%)	4 (1.5%)	76 (27.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	53.7	212^th of 552 public middle schools	61.6%		52.7	226^th of 550 public middle schools	58.9%	14	53.0	47.0	34.0	25.0	43.0	$5,907		$5,907
Pima Junior High School	Public	7-8	192 E. 200 S.	Pima	85543	Graham County	Pima Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(928) 387-8101	180	9	20.0		123 (68.3%)	2 (1.1%)	47 (26.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	31.8	318^th of 552 public middle schools	42.4%		25.3	371^st of 550 public middle schools	32.5%	53	36.0	35.0	27.0	21.0	28.0	$6,107	$49	$6,083

Frequently Asked Questions about Safford Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Safford Middle School?

Students at Safford Middle School are 54% Hispanic, 41% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% African American.

How many students attend Safford Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 375 students attended Safford Middle School.

Is Safford Middle School a good school?

Safford Middle School ranks 307^th of 552 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Safford Middle School attend?

Students who attend Safford Middle School usually go on to attend Safford High School

What district is Safford Middle School in?

Safford Unified District

Rate Safford Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AZArizona Middle School Rankings

AZArizona District Rankings

Schools in Safford, AZ

Sign up for updates!

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

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.