Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Summary:

Horseshoe Trails Elementary School is a highly-ranked public elementary school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving 433 students in grades PK-6 and part of the Cave Creek Unified District. The school consistently performs among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic achievement across all grade levels that often exceeds district and state averages.

Horseshoe Trails Elementary School's students demonstrate strong proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics, with 70% or more of students meeting or exceeding standards in these subjects. The school maintains a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 16.7 students per teacher. While the student population is predominantly white, the school has shown impressive performance across diverse student subgroups, including female, male, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, white, multi-racial, special education, and military-connected students.

When compared to nearby schools within the Cave Creek Unified District, such as Black Mountain Elementary, Desert Willow Elementary, and Lone Mountain Elementary, Horseshoe Trails maintains a higher academic performance, though the nearby schools also perform well. When compared to schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District, such as Sky Crossing Elementary, Pinnacle Peak Preparatory, and Fireside Elementary, Horseshoe Trails' academic performance is on par or slightly lower, but these Paradise Valley schools have a more diverse student population.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 5405 E. Pinnacle Vista Drive
       Phoenix, AZ  85085


(480) 272-8500

District: Cave Creek Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
106th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $2,778 Help


Students who attend Horseshoe Trails Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Sonoran Trails Middle School
High:    Cactus Shadows High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.7 Help
Number of students:  433

Racial breakdown:

White:
80.4%
Hispanic:
10.2%
Two or more races:
6.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  3.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Horseshoe Trails Elementary School ranks better than 88.3% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks first among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Cave Creek Unified District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.31. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (80.4%), Hispanic (10.2%), two or more races (6.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 3.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Cave Creek Unified District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School is 16.7. 2 elementary schools in the Cave Creek Unified District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Horseshoe Trails Elementary School employs 25.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School is $2,778, which is the 2nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Cave Creek Unified District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Horseshoe Trails Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Horseshoe Trails Elementary School 106th of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Horseshoe Trails Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Cave Creek Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cave Creek Unified District 63rd of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Horseshoe Trails Elementary School?

Rank History for Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 88.42 61st 1062 94.3%
2010 89.44 66th 1090 93.9%
2011 88.07 85th 1075 92.1%
2012 85.12 99th 1141 91.3%
2013 89.56 46th 1158 96.0%
2014 92.29 39th 1079 96.4%
2015 92.34 48th 955 95.0%
2016 95.18 32nd 1079 97.0%
2017 93.69 51st 1106 95.4%
2018 94.93 35th 1109 96.8%
2019 95.81 23rd 1039 97.8%
2021 96.56 27th 1226 97.8%
2022 87.10 82nd 1000 91.8%
2023 90.76 106th 1245 91.5%
2024 86.31 106th 904 88.3%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 89.81 17th 1027 98.3%
2022 80.05 46th 444 89.6%
2023 66.89 125th 617 79.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.10 15th 417 96.4%
2021 96.92 14th 1201 98.8%
2023 60.67 217th 820 73.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Female students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.86 49th 1023 95.2%
2019 93.46 27th 862 96.9%
2021 95.37 29th 1219 97.6%
2022 82.55 82nd 824 90.0%
2023 85.84 143rd 1219 88.3%
2024 86.21 46th 593 92.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 88.91 10th 239 95.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.65 22nd 1032 97.9%
2019 94.33 24th 850 97.2%
2021 96.07 26th 1220 97.9%
2022 82.14 100th 830 88.0%
2023 91.89 74th 1216 93.9%
2024 80.76 87th 609 85.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 77.85 67th 620 89.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 96.63 14th 1198 98.8%
2022 64.32 253rd 716 64.7%
2023 84.66 121st 1170 89.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 68.85 70th 654 89.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.49 45th 720 93.8%
2019 90.70 19th 595 96.8%
2021 88.76 45th 1161 96.1%
2022 75.12 122nd 800 84.8%
2023 78.46 164th 1024 84.0%
2024 69.20 124th 477 74.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Horseshoe Trails Elementary School Test Scores
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Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.3)
33%

0%

0%

0%

67%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, May 27, 2021

Open Quote Horseshoe Trails was once an excellent school. The teachers went above and beyond. They offered a top notch education, which I was proud of. There were cracks in the school that needed to be fixed, but not every school is perfect.

We decided not to return for many reasons. The problems my child had with being bullied and excluded at school were not effectively dealt with. We met with the current principal multiple times, but nothing changed. My child also had an IEP that was not being followed. It caused a lot of stress and anxiety for my kid to be there because of this. Lastly, the Chinese immersion program has been reduced to an extracurricular activity offered at the school. It is a misfortune as the mandarin teachers were amazing.

There appears to be a lack of follow through from leaders and a lack of willingness to work with the school’s families.
The community at the school was strong, but many feel shunned by their leaders. For these reasons, and more, many have decided to move on. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, May 23, 2021

Open Quote No confidence in Principal Pettinato! He eliminated Immersion stating he needed to kill the program to be fair to ALL students, declared immersion not equitable due to varying class sizes, which COVID upset. He became less visible & harder to reach. He seemed to frown upon extra work of leading an immersion school & shared he felt like he had to run two schools. He rejected donations, grants, etc. as not sustainable. He stated he was nervous over hiring Mandarin speaking teachers when two retired & two(or three) planned to reject their contracts. If immersion was already killed, he had no need to hire, if not, why did these teachers feel the need to reject their contracts under Mr.P’s leadership? He stated he did not want to RIF an English-speaking teacher. An anti-Mandarin immersion attitude grew among some non-immersion parents & took root in the entering PTO. So unfortunate for a school with such low diversity. The Horseshoe Trails community needed a strong leader. Mr.P let us down! Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Open Quote COMPARABLE TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL:
As a previous private school parent in another city, I was wary of sending my children to a public school. However, when I visited this school, I found the Principal is very engaged in each aspect of the schools inner workings. Principal Marlowe is in each classroom everyday, leading tours through the school, and even directing afterschool traffic. She is also very accessible and the front office staff is very pleasant and informed.

Pros - the school has smart boards in every classroom, a well-rounded gifted program (my daughter is not "gifted" but is learning multiplication at second grade), Mandarin, and an equine program. Caveats: small minority population and the learnyes.org campaigns towards the first half of the year. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2006 404 7 10 31 0 n/a n/a 0 452
2007 465 9 9 39 2 n/a n/a 0 524
2008 467 9 10 41 2 n/a n/a 0 529
2009 456 6 10 34 3 n/a n/a 0 509
2010 482 8 12 37 3 n/a n/a 0 542
2011 576 10 13 53 3 0 4 0 659
2012 608 11 23 76 3 0 2 0 723
2013 569 4 26 64 2 1 3 0 669
2014 564 2 32 57 3 1 5 0 664
2015 591 3 29 54 5 1 12 0 695
2016 582 2 25 48 2 2 14 0 675
2017 556 3 21 52 5 2 23 0 662
2018 536 2 22 54 6 2 29 0 651
2019 493 3 22 53 6 1 31 0 609
2020 505 1 20 42 5 2 39 0 614
2021 398 0 15 46 4 1 36 0 500
2022 364 3 9 50 2 1 28 0 457
2023 348 4 7 44 2 0 28 0 433

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 452 28.0 16.1 2.9
2007 524 30.5 17.2 2.7
2008 529 32.5 16.3 6.4
2009 509 29.0 17.6 6.5
2010 542 28.0 19.3 7.4
2011 659 34.2 19.2 8
2012 723 40.2 17.9 10.7
2013 669 34.2 19.5 1.6
2014 664 31.2 21.2 8.9
2015 695 31.0 22.4 8.8
2016 675 29.0 23.2 8.9
2017 662 29.2 22.6 7.9
2018 651 29.2 22.2 6.9
2019 609 29.2 20.8 4.9
2020 614 29.2 21.0 5.9
2021 500 31.2 16.0 n/a
2022 457 27.2 16.8 3.9
2023 433 25.8 16.7 3.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 452 28.0 16.1 2.9
2007 524 30.5 17.2 2.7
2008 529 32.5 16.3 6.4
2009 509 29.0 17.6 6.5
2010 542 28.0 19.3 7.4
2011 659 34.2 19.2 8
2012 723 40.2 17.9 10.7
2013 669 34.2 19.5 1.6
2014 664 31.2 21.2 8.9
2015 695 31.0 22.4 8.8
2016 675 29.0 23.2 8.9
2017 662 29.2 22.6 7.9
2018 651 29.2 22.2 6.9
2019 609 29.2 20.8 4.9
2020 614 29.2 21.0 5.9
2021 500 31.2 16.0 n/a
2022 457 27.2 16.8 3.9
2023 433 25.8 16.7 3.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $150 (1.9%) $29 (0.4%) $329 (4.1%) $6,116 (75.6%) $1,799 (22.2%) $7,915 (97.8%) $8,094
2020 $157 (2.4%) $83 (1.3%) $398 (6.2%) $5,198 (81.1%) $973 (15.2%) $6,170 (96.2%) $6,411
2021 $1,282 (17.9%) $23 (0.3%) $2,587 (36.1%) $4,664 (65.0%) $1,202 (16.8%) $5,866 (81.8%) $7,170
2022 $105 (3.8%) $60 (2.2%) $271 (9.8%) $1,959 (70.5%) $653 (23.5%) $2,612 (94.0%) $2,778

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 23rd of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 106th of 1245 Elementary schools
 6.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students609433
 28.9%
African American34
 33.3%
American Indian62
 66.7%
Asian227
 68.2%
Hispanic5344
 17%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White493348
 29.4%
Two or More Races3128
 9.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients4.9%3.9%
 1%


Schools Near Horseshoe Trails Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

Students who attend Horseshoe Trails Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sonoran Trails Middle School
High : Cactus Shadows High School

Students at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School are 80% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 433 students attended Horseshoe Trails Elementary School.

Horseshoe Trails Elementary School ranks 106th of 904 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


Rate Horseshoe Trails Elementary School!



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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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