Weinberg Gifted Academy vs Ashland Elementary

Weinberg Gifted Academy and Ashland Elementary sit just 4.2 miles apart in Gilbert, Arizona, and their overall ratings are identical — both score 9.2/10 and rank back-to-back among the best elementary schools in the state. Weinberg Gifted Academy holds the #10 position out of 2,000 Arizona schools, with Ashland Elementary at #11, making this one of the tightest two-school comparisons in the state. Parents choosing between them cannot rely on a simple quality gap — the differences are structural and programmatic rather than a matter of one school being plainly better.

On academic and growth measures, Weinberg Gifted Academy pulls ahead in both categories. Its academic score of 10.0/10 outpaces Ashland Elementary's 9.6/10, a meaningful 0.4-point gap at the top of the scale. The growth score tells the same story: Weinberg Gifted Academy earns a 10.0/10 versus Ashland Elementary's 9.5/10. These margins confirm that students at Weinberg Gifted Academy are not only achieving at a higher level but also progressing faster year over year, which matters for families tracking long-term academic trajectories heading into middle school.

The clearest structural difference between the two schools is classroom density. Ashland Elementary's student-teacher ratio of 15.5:1 is notably tighter than Weinberg Gifted Academy's 19.2:1 — nearly four additional students per teacher. Enrollment is nearly identical, with Ashland Elementary at 758 students and Weinberg Gifted Academy at 748, so the ratio difference reflects staffing rather than school size. For families who prioritize individual teacher attention and smaller group instruction, Ashland Elementary's ratio represents a tangible classroom experience advantage.

Both schools serve grades PK through 06, so neither extends further into the elementary years than the other, and families won't face a grade-level mismatch for younger or older children. The key distinction comes down to program type: Weinberg Gifted Academy, as its name indicates, is structured as a gifted academy with a selective academic focus, which explains its higher academic and growth ceilings. Ashland Elementary operates as a traditional neighborhood elementary, with the staffing model to match.