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Public middle school · Higley Unified School District (4248) · Gilbert, Arizona

Cooley Middle School

Cooley Middle School rates 7.7, right at the middle of Higley Unified School District (4248)'s middle schools, whose rated median is 7.7.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.7this school

7.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Higley Unified School District (4248) median is 7.7.

#430 of 2,019 schools in Arizona · Higley Unified School District (4248): 2 middle schools rated, median 7.7

The brief

A Higley Unified School District (4248) middle school where students score 45 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 430 of 2,019 schools in Arizona and 12 of 16 in Higley Unified School District (4248).

Cooley Middle School is listed in Higley Unified School District (4248), and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math40%11 points above the Arizona average of 29%2025 AASA
Reading50%9 points above the Arizona average of 41%2025 AASA
Proficiency has held near 45% across the 2-year record (2024–2025).2025 AASA; 32 test records from AZ state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.3
40% of the rating
Academics
8.1
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.2
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 49% (multi-year average, 2013-2025) · reading/ELA 54% (multi-year average, 2013-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AASA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AASA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 85295; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2013-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Cooley Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$116,288
Median home value
$527,400
Median rent
$1,965/mo
College educated
49.4%
Homeownership
64.1%
Poverty rate
3.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 85295; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
7
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
0
Minimal Transit
Bike Score
41
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
989/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Gilbert. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Gilbert), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.8Compare →
  2. Cooley Middle Schoolthis school
    7.7
  3. 7.4Compare →
  4. 6.9Compare →
  5. San Tan Charter School1.3 mi · charter
    6.5Compare →
  6. 6.4Compare →
  7. 5.8Compare →
  8. 5.7Compare →
  9. 3.9Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and one rates higher than Cooley Middle School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Cooley Middle School serve?

Cooley Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Cooley Middle School?

Cooley Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 850 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cooley Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Cooley Middle School is 17.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cooley Middle School rank in AZ?

Cooley Middle School ranks #430 of 2,019 schools in AZ.

What is Cooley Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Cooley Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Cooley Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cooley Middle School has 49% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2013-2025) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2013-2025).

Is Cooley Middle School a charter school?

No, Cooley Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Cooley Middle School a Title I school?

No, Cooley Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
850
Student-teacher ratio
17.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
48
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
Maricopa County
Rank in district
#12 of 16
Schools in district
16
District spending per student
$9,611
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
5.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 85295)
54,697
Area average commute
26.8 min
Area median age
31.4

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

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.