The brief
A Higley Unified School District (4248) elementary school where students score 65 points above what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 171 of 2,019 schools in Arizona and 4 of 16 in Higley Unified School District (4248).
Cortina Elementary 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.
- 202565%
- 202463%
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 68% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 73% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).
- 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 85142; 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.Open the Phoenix school map to see school quality against home prices across the metro.
The area
- Median income
- $125,236
- Median home value
- $521,300
- Median rent
- $2,092/mo
- College educated
- 37.9%
- Homeownership
- 88.7%
- Poverty rate
- 5.3%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 85142; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 25
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 34
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 933/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Queen Creek. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Queen Creek), 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.- 8.7Compare →
- Cortina Elementary8.4
- 8.2Compare →
- 8.2Compare →
- 8.0Compare →
- 7.8Compare →
- 7.5Compare →
- 7.5Compare →
- 6.1Compare →
Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Cortina Elementary serve?
Cortina Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 8th.
How many students attend Cortina Elementary?
Cortina Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 664 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cortina Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cortina Elementary is 17:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Cortina Elementary rank in AZ?
Cortina Elementary ranks #171 of 2,019 schools in AZ.
What is Cortina Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?
Cortina Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.4 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 Cortina Elementary?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Cortina Elementary has 68% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 73% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).
Is Cortina Elementary a charter school?
No, Cortina Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Cortina Elementary a Title I school?
No, Cortina Elementary is not currently a Title I school.
School facts
- Grades
- Pre-K – 8th
- Enrollment
- 664
- Student-teacher ratio
- 17:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 39
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Large Suburb
- County
- Maricopa County
- Phone
- (480) 279-7800
- Rank in district
- #4 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 85142)
- 87,201
- Area average commute
- 30.9 min
- Area median age
- 36.1
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
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.