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Mesquite Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

71^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Mesquite Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Tucson, Arizona, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 677 students. The school is part of the Vail Unified District, which is ranked 61 out of 289 districts in Arizona and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mesquite Elementary School has consistently performed well, ranking in the top 10% of Arizona elementary schools for several years. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school ranked 71 out of 909 Arizona elementary schools and received a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school outperforms the nearby Civano Community K-8 School, Esmond Station School, and Cottonwood Elementary School in both academic performance and school rankings. The nearby schools in the Tucson Unified District and Sunnyside Unified District, such as Ford Elementary and Craycroft Elementary School, lag significantly behind Mesquite Elementary School in academic achievement.

Mesquite Elementary School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 17.2 to 22.3 over the past few years, which may contribute to its strong academic outcomes. The school's per-student spending has decreased from $8,459 in 2018-2019 to $5,901 in 2021-2022, indicating efficient resource allocation. Despite an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 11.87% in 2021-2022 to 22.83% in 2022-2023, the school has maintained its high academic performance, suggesting its ability to effectively support students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

640

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$5,901

Per pupil spending ?

22.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9455 E Rita Rd
Tucson, AZ 85747-6300

(520) 879-2102

District: Vail Unified District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.0%

White:

35.2%

Two or more races:

12.3%

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Compare Mesquite Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2015 → 92nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (68% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of Arizona elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school68%

District avg61%

Arizona avg39%

71^st of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 9Elementary Schools in the Vail Unified District

61^st of 289Vail 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	89.7	71 of 909	92.2%	★★★★★
2024	84.7	127 of 912	86.1%	★★★★☆
2023	94.2	60 of 1245	95.2%	★★★★★
2022	91.2	53 of 1000	94.7%	★★★★★
2021	92.2	86 of 1226	93.0%	★★★★★
2019	93.7	40 of 1039	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	93.6	49 of 1109	95.6%	★★★★★
2017	93.6	54 of 1106	95.1%	★★★★★
2016	91.9	68 of 1079	93.7%	★★★★★
2015	89.3	80 of 955	91.6%	★★★★★
2014	92.4	36 of 1079	96.7%	★★★★★
2011	92.5	27 of 1075	97.5%	★★★★★
2010	91.9	36 of 1090	96.7%	★★★★★
2009	91.4	30 of 1062	97.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	95.3	7 of 607	98.8%	★★★★★
2022	65.6	86 of 289	70.2%	★★★★☆
2021	79.5	59 of 895	93.4%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	76.9	75 of 620	87.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	95.1	13 of 451	97.1%	★★★★★
2021	59.4	72 of 975	92.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	81.7	70 of 589	88.1%	★★★★☆
2024	74.2	115 of 602	80.9%	★★★★☆
2023	95.3	31 of 1219	97.5%	★★★★★
2022	87.9	55 of 824	93.3%	★★★★★
2021	92.1	71 of 1219	94.2%	★★★★★
2019	90.1	47 of 862	94.5%	★★★★★
2018	93.1	48 of 1023	95.3%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	91.0	33 of 496	93.3%	★★★★★
2024	81.5	73 of 486	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	94.3	35 of 1170	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	90.9	38 of 716	94.7%	★★★★★
2021	93.0	41 of 1198	96.6%	★★★★★
2019	94.9	22 of 709	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	96.5	13 of 911	98.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	83.2	64 of 549	88.3%	★★★★☆
2024	81.1	68 of 556	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	89.9	54 of 1116	95.2%	★★★★★
2022	84.5	63 of 618	89.8%	★★★★☆
2018	96.9	9 of 820	98.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	81.6	76 of 626	87.9%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	143 of 628	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	91.2	85 of 1216	93.0%	★★★★★
2022	88.7	44 of 830	94.7%	★★★★★
2021	90.9	93 of 1220	92.4%	★★★★★
2019	92.8	30 of 850	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	92.3	66 of 1032	93.6%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	77.7	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆
2023	93.7	2 of 145	98.6%	★★★★★
2022	95.4	2 of 101	98.0%	★★★★★
2021	75.4	31 of 239	87.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	74.6	89 of 617	85.6%	★★★★☆
2022	85.6	26 of 444	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	85.3	41 of 1027	96.0%	★★★★★

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	64.1	89 of 654	86.4%	★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	45.8	11 of 24	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	57.3	252 of 820	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.0	46 of 145	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.1	125 of 1201	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	88.4	20 of 417	95.2%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	81.0	50 of 465	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	68.0	133 of 486	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	88.1	62 of 1024	93.9%	★★★★★
2022	82.7	63 of 800	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	84.9	101 of 1161	91.3%	★★★★★
2019	83.5	57 of 595	90.4%	★★★★★
2018	88.7	43 of 720	94.0%	★★★★★

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)99th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)97th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)93rd percentile~ school

White (2025)89th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)88th percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2021)88th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2025)88th percentile-4 vs school

Native American (2021)86th percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)86th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2023)69th percentile-26 vs school

Pacific Islander (2022)54th percentile-41 vs school

Military Connected (2025)50th percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics72%+32 vs state

English Language Arts66%+26 vs state

Science59%+25 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Monday, July 2, 2012

I understand that Mesquite has an excellent rating but then why are my 2 grandsons who go there always very bored ?? Close Quote

Schools Near Mesquite Elementary 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 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
Mesquite Elementary School	Public	K-5	9455 E Rita Rd	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2102	640	37	17.3		225 (35.2%)	34 (5.3%)	275 (43.0%)	27 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (12.3%)	89.7	71^st of 909 public elementary schools	92.2%		84.7	127^th of 912 public elementary schools	86.1%	56	71.0	69.0	59.0				75.0	73.0	67.0				59.0		$5,901	$130	$01	$262	$5,634	$135	$5,769
Desert Willow Elementary School	Public	K-5	9400 E Esmond Loop	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2302	811	46	17.7		296 (36.5%)	55 (6.8%)	384 (47.3%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	66 (8.1%)	66.6	280^th of 909 public elementary schools	69.2%		61.4	316^th of 912 public elementary schools	65.4%	36	45.0	53.0	48.0				57.0	52.0	59.0				47.0		$6,728	$622	$65	$1,309	$5,867	$175	$6,041
Cottonwood Elementary School	Public	K-6	9950 E Rees Loop	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2602	570	32	17.7		228 (40.0%)	19 (3.3%)	256 (44.9%)	9 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (9.5%)	77.7	183^rd of 909 public elementary schools	79.9%		72.5	224^th of 912 public elementary schools	75.4%	41	44.0	64.0	53.0				62.0	65.0	69.0				52.0		$7,555	$340	$38	$717	$7,017	$161	$7,178
Senita Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	10750 E Bilby Rd	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-3100	709	38	18.6		325 (45.8%)	26 (3.7%)	258 (36.4%)	14 (2.0%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	81 (11.4%)	94.8	37^th of 909 public elementary schools	95.9%		95.4	27^th of 912 public elementary schools	97.0%	10	66.0	78.0	82.0				76.0	67.0	87.0				74.0		$5,830	$26	$53	$104	$5,639	$112	$5,752
Civano Community K-8 School	Public	K-8	10625 E Drexel Rd	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-1700	145	12	12.1		68 (46.9%)	1 (0.7%)	60 (41.4%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (9.7%)								(n/a)				63.0	58.0	95.0						50.0		73.0	$7,204	$03	$152	$158	$6,554	$495	$7,049
Esmond Station School	Public	PK, KG-8	9400 S Atterbury Wash Way	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-3400	741	38	19.7		336 (45.3%)	24 (3.2%)	313 (42.2%)	12 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (7.4%)	84.7	120^th of 909 public elementary schools	86.8%		87.2	98^th of 912 public elementary schools	89.3%	22	53.0	59.0	64.0	63.0	68.0	76.0	62.0	68.0	79.0	62.0	44.0	60.0	59.0	66.0	$5,853	$137	$10	$285	$5,551	$154	$5,705
Ford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	8001 E Stella Rd	Tucson	85730	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 731-4300	182	17	10.4		62 (34.1%)	17 (9.3%)	94 (51.6%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.3%)								(n/a)		42.0											29.0			$00			$00
Craycroft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5455 E. Littletown Rd.	Tucson	85756	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-2600	586	27	21.7		46 (7.8%)	52 (8.9%)	457 (78.0%)	7 (1.2%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.2%)	7.4	896^th of 909 public elementary schools	1.4%		8.7	887^th of 912 public elementary schools	2.7%	9	12.0	21.0	22.0					15.0	12.0				14.0		$6,907	$1,073	$22	$2,167	$5,496	$317	$5,813
Legacy Traditional School - East Tucson	Public, Charter	K-6	9290 E Golf Links Rd	Tucson	85730	Pima County	Legacy Traditional School - East Tucson	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 428-3010	439	20	21.9		129 (29.4%)	37 (8.4%)	225 (51.3%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.4%)	32 (7.3%)	40.5	467^th of 909 public elementary schools	48.6%		49.4	411^th of 912 public elementary schools	54.9%	56	29.0	50.0	42.0				31.0	34.0	43.0				41.0			$00			$00
Leman Academy of Excellence East Tucson	Public, Charter	K-8	10200 E Golf Links Rd	Tucson	85730	Pima County	Leman Academy of Excellence Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 526-0474	1,157	88	13.1		528 (45.6%)	51 (4.4%)	444 (38.4%)	38 (3.3%)	9 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	85 (7.3%)	50.2	382^nd of 909 public elementary schools	58.0%		43	453^rd of 912 public elementary schools	50.3%	71	50.0	56.0	45.0	52.0	46.0	61.0	44.0	43.0	36.0	38.0	40.0	43.0	23.0	34.0		$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesquite Elementary School

How many students attend Mesquite Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 640 students attended Mesquite Elementary School.

What district is Mesquite Elementary School in?

Vail Unified District

Is Mesquite Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Mesquite Elementary School ranks in the top 7.8% of Arizona elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Mesquite Elementary School?

Students at Mesquite Elementary School are 43% Hispanic, 35% White, 12% Two or more races, 5% African American, 4% Asian.

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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.