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6.7avg / 10

Peoria Unified School District (4237)

School District · Peoria, Arizona

Students: 35,466
Teachers (FTE): 1,871

Avg Rating

6.7

out of 10

Schools

44

33 elem, 8 high

Enrollment

35,466

Student-Teacher Ratio

19:1

How this district compares

Arizona rank

#61 of 203

districts by avg. composite

Vs. state average

+0.3

above Arizona avg

Per-pupil spending

$10,026

$1,150 vs Arizona median

District size

35,466 students

Much larger than Arizona median

The short answer

Peoria Unified School District (4237) ranks #61 of 203 Arizona districts by overall school rating. Peoria Unified School District (4237)'s schools with real test data average 6.7/10 across 42 schools. Its top-rated schools are Zuni Hills Elementary School (8.6/10), Apache Elementary School (8.6/10), and Sunrise Mountain High School (8.5/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024
Lake Pleasant Elementary

STAAR proficiency rose +9.0 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Peoria Unified School District (4237) schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.

Top-Rated Schools in Peoria Unified School District (4237)

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (42 of 44). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#SchoolRating
1Zuni Hills Elementary School8.6 / 10
2Apache Elementary School8.6 / 10
3Sunrise Mountain High School8.5 / 10
4Copperwood School8.2 / 10
5Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School8.2 / 10
6Pioneer Elementary School8.1 / 10
7Frontier Elementary School7.9 / 10
8Cheyenne Elementary School7.9 / 10
9Peoria Traditional School7.9 / 10
10Vistancia Elementary School7.8 / 10

See all 44 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

About Peoria Unified School District (4237)

Peoria Unified School District serves 35,466 students across 44 schools in Arizona, making it one of the state's larger suburban districts. With 42 of those schools ranked and an average score of 6.3 out of 10, the district sits in solid mid-range territory — a useful benchmark for parents weighing options across the region.

Elementary school is where Peoria Unified stands out most clearly. Coyote Hills Elementary School and Peoria Traditional School both earn 8.2 out of 10, tying for the top spot in the district. Peoria Elementary School follows closely at 8.0, while Marshall Ranch Elementary and Desert Valley Elementary round out the upper tier at 7.8 and 7.7, respectively. That cluster of high-performing elementaries well above the district's 6.3 average signals meaningful variation within the system — where you live, or where you apply, matters here.

Coyote Hills and Peoria Traditional representing the district ceiling at 8.2 is worth noting for parents with younger children. Both schools outpace the districtwide average by nearly two full points, which is a significant gap in a system this size. Parents comparing these campuses to peer schools elsewhere in Arizona will find them competitive. The district's average of 6.3 across 42 ranked schools is honest context: strong options exist, but performance is uneven across the full portfolio of 44 campuses.

For families moving to the Peoria area, the practical takeaway is straightforward. The elementary tier has real bright spots, and the data rewards careful school-by-school comparison rather than treating the district as uniform. Check your address's attendance zone early — the difference between a 6.3 and an 8.2 school can hinge on a few blocks. MySchoolScout's school pages for each campus include ratings, enrollment figures, and side-by-side comparisons to help narrow the search before an in-person visit.

District Map

Schools in Peoria Unified School District (4237), colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.

District Average Test Scores

Math Proficiency48.1%
School
State
Not reported
ELA Proficiency51.7%
School
State
Not reported

Average proficiency across all schools in Peoria Unified School District (4237) with test data.

District Details

State
Arizona
City
Peoria
Total Enrollment
35,466
Teachers (FTE)
1,871
District spending per student
$10,026NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
Child poverty rate
9.6%Census SAIPE · 2024
District directory year
2023

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Peoria Unified School District (4237)?

Peoria Unified School District (4237) has 44 schools in total — 33 elementary, and 8 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.

What is the average rating for Peoria Unified School District (4237)?

The average composite rating for Peoria Unified School District (4237) is 6.7/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.

What is the district spending per student in Peoria Unified School District (4237)?

Peoria Unified School District (4237)'s district-level spending was $10,026 per student in fiscal year 2023, according to NCES F-33. This is district context, not an individual-school expense.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Peoria Unified School District (4237)?

The average student-teacher ratio in Peoria Unified School District (4237) is 19:1.

What is the top-rated school in Peoria Unified School District (4237)?

Apache Elementary School is the highest-rated school in Peoria Unified School District (4237) with a composite score of 8.6/10.

What are the test scores in Peoria Unified School District (4237)?

Across schools in Peoria Unified School District (4237) with test data, the average math proficiency is 48.1% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 51.7%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.

How does Peoria Unified School District (4237) compare to other districts in Arizona?

Peoria Unified School District (4237) has an average school rating of 6.7/10 across 44 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in Arizona by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools?

MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.

District Averages

Overall Rating
6.7/10
Math Proficiency
48.1%
ELA Proficiency
51.7%

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Arizona Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.

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