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Maricopa Unified: Maricopa Unified schools score 10.5 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 2.6 points.

Below Average2024–25 data7 schools · avg 34.4/100

Maricopa Unified has 7 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 34.4/100 — 10.5 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Insight School of California at 39/100, where 9.7% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $19,796 per student (above the state average of $14,815). Chronic absenteeism averages 18.5%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
34.4
State avg: 44.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
11.6
27.2 – 38.8
Avg Exceeded %
9.1%
State avg: 21.3%
Chronic Absenteeism
18.5%
State avg: 17.9%
Schools Ranked
7
With Scope Scores
Charter Schools
4
of 7 ranked
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementaryDeveloping
35.1/100
411.1%10.1%
MiddleDeveloping
34.2/100
12.1%24.4%
HighDeveloping
33.0/100
28.7%32.5%

Maricopa Unified's elementary schools average 35.1/100 — 9.7 points below the state average with a −2.6pp declining trajectory.

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in Maricopa Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
35.1
avg score · 4 schools
Heartland Charter
Developing
38/100
Blue Ridge Academy
Developing
36/100
+1 more elementary schools
Middle
34.2
avg score · 1 school
Maricopa Middle
Developing
34/100
High
33.0
avg score · 2 schools
Maricopa High
Needs Support
27/100

District Analysis

Maricopa Unified has 7 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 34.4/100 — 10.5 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: Maricopa Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 35.1.

District-wide elementary growth averages -2.6pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.

Score range of 11.6 points — moderately consistent between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 18.5%, 0.6pp near the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 2.7%, near the state average of 1.6%.

Insight School of California leads the district at 39 with 9.7% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Maricopa Unified

3 Culture First1 On the Rise3 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 1 school in Maricopa Unified is classified as On the Rise — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

Student demographics

Hispanic
48.5%
White
38.4%
Asian
1.8%
Black
3.9%
Other
7.4%
Free/Reduced Lunch
69%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

Maricopa Unified spends $19,796 per student in current expenditures — $4,981 above the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$19,796
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
318
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 1391.4%
$1,327 → $19,796
Spending Efficiency
1.74
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 58%Support 39%Other 3%
NCES F-33 Finance · District-level data — not school-specific

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020

For the data nerds

Every school in Maricopa Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (4)

Maricopa Unified has 4 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 35.1 — 9.7 points below the state average of 44.8.

Growth averages -2.6pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Heartland Charter with a Scope Score of 38 and 13.2% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Heartland Charter
Maricopa Unified Culture First
13.2%Developing
38/100
2California Virtual Academy at Maricopa
Maricopa Unified Culture First
12.2%Developing
37/100
3Blue Ridge Academy
Maricopa Unified Culture First
13.9%Developing
36/100
4Maricopa Elementary
Maricopa Unified On the Rise
5.1%Needs Support
30/100

Middle Schools (1)

Maricopa Unified has 1 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 34.2 — 8.4 points below the state average of 42.6.

Growth averages -3.3pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring middle school is Maricopa Middle with a Scope Score of 34 and 2.1% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Maricopa Middle
Maricopa Unified Building Momentum
2.1%Developing
34/100

High Schools (2)

Maricopa Unified has 2 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 33.0 — 10.7 points below the state average of 43.7.

The highest-scoring high school is Insight School of California with a Scope Score of 39 and 9.7% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Insight School of California
Maricopa Unified Building Momentum
9.7%Developing
39/100
2Maricopa High
Maricopa Unified Building Momentum
7.7%Needs Support
27/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 7 schoolsMethodology · Explore all schools

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about Maricopa Unified

Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Is Maricopa Unified a good school district?
Maricopa Unified has 7 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 34.4/100, which is 10.5 points below the state average. 9.1% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across seven dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in Maricopa Unified?
The highest-scoring school in Maricopa Unified is Insight School of California with a Scope Score of 39/100 and 9.7% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does Maricopa Unified spend per student?
Maricopa Unified spends $19,796 per student in current expenditures. The state average is $14,815. Spending data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data Fiscal Survey (F-33). Higher spending does not automatically mean better outcomes — the Scope Score measures what happens in the classroom regardless of budget.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on seven dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, ELPAC English Learner proficiency, and baseline proficiency. Full methodology and weights.