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

Sierra K-8 School

Public Grades K-8

521^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 552 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Sierra 2-8 School is a public middle school located in Tucson, Arizona, serving grades 2-8 with a total enrollment of 699 students. The school is part of the Sunnyside Unified District, which is ranked 267 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Sierra 2-8 School has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Arizona middle schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 521 out of 552 middle schools in the state.

Sierra 2-8 School consistently underperforms compared to the state and district averages on standardized tests. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 15% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better in science, compared to 30% statewide. Similarly, proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were significantly lower than state and district averages across all grade levels. The school has also had high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 4.7% to 6.1% between 2021-2022 and 2023-2024, which are notably higher than the state and district averages.

The nearby schools in the Sunnyside Unified District, such as Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School, Apollo Middle School, and Challenger Middle School, also perform poorly on standardized tests and have high dropout rates, suggesting systemic challenges within the district. However, Sierra 2-8 School has shown some promising results for specific student subgroups, such as its ranking in the top 50% for African American and White students, indicating the potential for improvement if the school can identify and replicate the strategies that are working for these subgroups.

801

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,125

Per pupil spending ?

86.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5801 S Del Moral Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85706-4361

(520) 542-3200

District: Sunnyside Unified District

Students who attend Sierra K-8 School usually attend:

High:

Desert View High School

Feeder schools for Sierra K-8 School:

Elementary:

Ocotillo Early Learning Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

89.9%

African American:

4.7%

American Indian:

1.7%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Sierra K-8 School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 5th percentile in 2013 → 2nd in 2023

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Sunnyside Unified District

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (16% vs 36% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 23 pts below the Arizona average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school16%

District avg18%

Arizona avg36%

521^st of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 10Elementary Schools in the Sunnyside Unified District

267^th of 289Sunnyside 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	9.7	1222 of 1245	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.7	980 of 1000	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.7	1176 of 1226	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.3	1028 of 1039	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.6	970 of 1109	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.7	1028 of 1106	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.5	1021 of 1079	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.3	939 of 955	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	13.2	1003 of 1079	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	14.2	1098 of 1158	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	12.1	1096 of 1141	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.2	1002 of 1075	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	33.7	751 of 1090	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	21.9	904 of 1062	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	40.4	368 of 607	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.1	599 of 895	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	15.3	446 of 451	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	40.4	462 of 975	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	25 of 155	83.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	9.1	1201 of 1219	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.2	1172 of 1219	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.3	859 of 862	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.1	853 of 1023	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	29.4	265 of 306	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	10.4	1158 of 1170	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.7	1148 of 1198	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.7	704 of 709	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	746 of 911	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.0	303 of 423	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	11.8	1095 of 1116	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.0	616 of 618	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	25.8	644 of 820	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	10.8	1183 of 1216	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.2	827 of 830	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.9	1155 of 1220	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.2	836 of 850	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.2	911 of 1032	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	29.9	776 of 1027	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	28.7	510 of 654	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	39.7	637 of 1201	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.3	384 of 417	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	6.6	1131 of 1161	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	11.3	521 of 552	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	523 of 550	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	809 of 854	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.7	594 of 605	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.8	781 of 832	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	577 of 605	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.2	625 of 711	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.1	607 of 695	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.8	624 of 677	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.1	493 of 521	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	16.5	609 of 690	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	20.2	692 of 787	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.4	651 of 772	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	27.0	529 of 685	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.6	464 of 692	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	27.0	518 of 663	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	42.5	214 of 400	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.5	462 of 573	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	47.1	157 of 606	74.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	11.4	358 of 395	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.5	777 of 806	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.3	770 of 820	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.2	428 of 466	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.1	536 of 624	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	31.2	129 of 166	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	13.0	319 of 345	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	302 of 329	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.7	728 of 760	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.3	380 of 392	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.1	731 of 802	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.6	375 of 387	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	490 of 543	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	53.5	19 of 64	70.3%	★★★★☆
2021	32.6	172 of 257	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	16.4	313 of 344	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.5	299 of 320	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	672 of 717	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	359 of 369	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.8	455 of 503	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	9.3	355 of 370	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.8	768 of 810	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.5	459 of 476	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.9	748 of 818	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.2	581 of 617	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	16.2	573 of 650	11.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	28.3	309 of 390	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	30.0	250 of 363	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.4	185 of 789	76.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	33.8	440 of 675	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.9	716 of 780	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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

Special Education (2021)47th percentile+43 vs school

African American (2023)39th percentile+38 vs school

Homeless (2021)28th percentile+24 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)24th percentile+20 vs school

Native American (2021)22nd percentile+18 vs school

Foster Care (2021)13th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2023)3rd percentile~ school

White (2021)3rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2023)1st percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2023)1st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2023)1st percentile~ school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2021)74th percentile+68 vs school

Homeless (2023)70th percentile+65 vs school

African American (2023)46th percentile+41 vs school

White (2023)35th percentile+30 vs school

Special Education (2023)31st percentile+26 vs school

Foster Care (2021)22nd percentile+16 vs school

Native American (2021)21st percentile+15 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)12th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)9th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)8th percentile~ school

Male (2024)4th percentile~ school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts20%-23 vs state

Science15%-15 vs state

Mathematics12%-19 vs state

5.0

2 ratings

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Sierra K-8 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 Sierra K-8 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 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 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
Sierra K-8 School	Public	K-8	5801 S Del Moral Blvd	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 542-3200	801	54	14.9		12 (1.5%)	38 (4.7%)	720 (89.9%)	3 (0.4%)	14 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.6%)								(n/a)		22.0			15.0	23.0		15.0		9.0	12.0		15.0	$7,125	$626	$37	$1,290	$5,960	$502	$6,462
Ocotillo Early Learning Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	5702 S Campbell Ave	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3600	284	24	11.9		13 (4.6%)	4 (1.4%)	254 (89.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)								(n/a)														$19,785	$1,733		$3,466	$17,130	$921	$18,051
Los Amigos Elementary School	Public	K-6	2200 E Drexel Rd	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3200	613	38	16.2		30 (4.9%)	13 (2.1%)	562 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	14.9	789^th of 909 public elementary schools	13.2%		14.7	786^th of 912 public elementary schools	13.8%	3	27.0	27.0	26.0	21.0			29.0	20.0	22.0			19.0		$7,607	$769	$04	$1,543	$6,481	$352	$6,833
Drexel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	801 E Drexel Rd	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-2700	515	25	21.0		13 (2.5%)	17 (3.3%)	454 (88.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	9.1	883^rd of 909 public elementary schools	2.9%					(n/a)	21.0	21.0	19.0	16.0			18.0	19.0						$7,085	$934	$01	$1,870	$5,549	$600	$6,150
Rivera Elementary	Public	K-6	5102 S Cherry Ave	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3900	454	24	18.9		8 (1.8%)	5 (1.1%)	427 (94.1%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	16.4	760^th of 909 public elementary schools	16.4%		8.7	886^th of 912 public elementary schools	2.9%	126	27.0	22.0		28.0			26.0							$8,065	$1,161	$25	$2,348	$6,313	$566	$6,879
Esperanza Elementary School	Public	K-6	2353 E Bantam Rd	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-2900	437	26	16.8		25 (5.7%)	3 (0.7%)	393 (89.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.6%)	9.9	879^th of 909 public elementary schools	3.3%		13.4	811^th of 912 public elementary schools	11.1%	68		20.0		24.0			19.0							$7,921	$725	$00	$1,451	$6,808	$387	$7,195
Liberty Elementary School	Public	K-6	5495 S Liberty Ave	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3100	490	23	21.6		11 (2.2%)	8 (1.6%)	450 (91.8%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	13.7	815^th of 909 public elementary schools	10.3%		14.3	792^nd of 912 public elementary schools	13.2%	23	22.0	17.0		33.0			18.0							$7,429	$846	$07	$1,698	$6,164	$412	$6,576
Van Buskirk Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	725 E Fair St	Tucson	85714	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-3700	287	25	11.6		10 (3.5%)	4 (1.4%)	268 (93.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	24.9	625^th of 909 public elementary schools	31.2%		31.7	561^st of 912 public elementary schools	38.5%	64	34.0	23.0	30.0						33.0						$00			$00
La Paloma Academy-South	Public, Charter	K-8	5660 S 12th Ave	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Arizona Community Development Corporation	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 807-9668	501	17	29.4		24 (4.8%)	4 (0.8%)	468 (93.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		26.0						22.0							$00			$00
Mission Manor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	600 W Santa Rosa St	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3500	475	37	12.9		14 (2.9%)	5 (1.1%)	436 (91.8%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	14.1	803^rd of 909 public elementary schools	11.7%		9.2	883^rd of 912 public elementary schools	3.2%	80		22.0		19.0			33.0		21.0					$9,529	$916	$10	$1,841	$8,318	$286	$8,604

Frequently Asked Questions about Sierra K-8 School

What district is Sierra K-8 School in?

Sunnyside Unified District

What is the racial makeup of Sierra K-8 School?

Students at Sierra K-8 School are 90% Hispanic, 5% African American, 2% American Indian, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

Is Sierra K-8 School a good school?

Sierra K-8 School ranks in the bottom 5.6% of Arizona elementary schools.

How many students attend Sierra K-8 School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 801 students attended Sierra K-8 School.

What schools do graduates of Sierra K-8 School attend?

Students who attend Sierra K-8 School usually go on to attend:

High : Desert View High School

Rate Sierra K-8 School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AZArizona Elementary School Rankings

AZArizona District Rankings

Schools in Tucson, AZ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Sierra K-8 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.