Poston Butte High School

Summary:

Poston Butte High School is a public high school serving grades 7-12 in San Tan Valley, Arizona, with a total enrollment of 1,393 students. The school is part of the Florence Unified School District, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Poston Butte High School has faced some challenges in recent years, with its statewide ranking fluctuating from 101 out of 394 Arizona high schools in 2013-2014 to 202 out of 259 in the current 2023-2024 school year, earning a 1-star rating. The school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science have generally been below the state and district averages. However, the school has maintained a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 91.5% to 94.5% over the past few years, and a low dropout rate of 1.2% to 2.2%.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Combs High School and San Tan Foothills High School, Poston Butte High School's performance is generally lower. For example, in 2023-2024, Combs High School had 38% proficiency in 11th-grade English Language Arts and 28% in Mathematics, compared to Poston Butte's 25% and 19%, respectively. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Asian and Native American students performing relatively well, while Hispanic and White students have struggled in comparison to their peers statewide.


Detail:

Public 7-12

 32375 N Gantzel Rd
       San Tan Valley, AZ  85143-5110


(480) 474-6100

District: Florence Unified School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
202nd of 259 Arizona High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,884 Help


Feeder schools for Poston Butte High School:

Elementary:    Circle Cross K8 STEM Academy
    Copper Basin

Student/teacher ratio:  19.4 Help
Number of students:  1,393

Racial breakdown:

White:
42.0%
Hispanic:
40.9%
African American:
10.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  44.9% Help


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 Compare Poston Butte High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Poston Butte High School ranks worse than 78% of high schools in Arizona. It also ranks first among 3 ranked high schools in the Florence Unified School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.69. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Poston Butte High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Poston Butte High School has the largest high school student body size in the Florence Unified School District. Racial makeup is: White (42%), Hispanic (40.9%), African American (10%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 44.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Florence Unified School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Poston Butte High School is 19.4, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Florence Unified School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Poston Butte High School employs 71.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Poston Butte High School is $6,884. 1 high schools in the Florence Unified School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Poston Butte High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Poston Butte High School 202nd of 259 Arizona public high schools. (See Poston Butte High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Florence Unified School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Florence Unified School District 245th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Poston Butte High School?

Rank History for Poston Butte High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 71.45 125th 403 69.0%
2011 65.12 153rd 397 61.5%
2012 67.09 159th 471 66.2%
2013 72.01 145th 491 70.5%
2014 75.98 101st 394 74.4%
2015 31.31 166th 261 36.4%
2016 37.84 203rd 406 50.0%
2017 29.13 252nd 416 39.4%
2018 31.69 238th 420 43.3%
2019 17.06 241st 285 15.4%
2021 42.38 242nd 509 52.5%
2022 30.09 268th 464 42.2%
2023 38.28 255th 469 45.6%
2024 20.69 202nd 259 22.0%
See the entire list of Arizona High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 54.14 153rd 374 59.1%
2022 19.33 221st 282 21.6%
2023 15.85 182nd 199 8.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 44.58 29th 312 90.7%
2022 41.67 53rd 258 79.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.73 107th 155 31.0%
2021 43.15 174th 422 58.8%
2022 37.18 174th 380 54.2%
2023 18.09 172nd 172 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.50 170th 253 32.8%
2022 25.03 128th 168 23.8%
2023 32.64 222nd 347 36.0%
2024 19.88 135th 168 19.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 93.69 2nd 44 95.5%
2023 62.83 4th 10 60.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.19 232nd 354 34.5%
2019 15.03 217th 247 12.1%
2021 45.95 219th 492 55.5%
2022 30.94 261st 456 42.8%
2023 32.08 266th 406 34.5%
2024 17.48 166th 193 14.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.68 240th 370 35.1%
2019 16.32 207th 238 13.0%
2021 36.99 270th 492 45.1%
2022 25.43 302nd 455 33.6%
2023 36.55 249th 429 42.0%
2024 18.05 162nd 207 21.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 50.82 124th 231 46.3%
2022 59.37 94th 238 60.5%
2023 60.85 56th 146 61.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.67 82nd 122 32.8%
2021 34.03 179th 306 41.5%
2022 29.43 196th 301 34.9%
2023 38.05 111th 201 44.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.16 209th 311 32.8%
2019 13.93 178th 183 2.7%
2021 35.55 278th 479 42.0%
2022 29.36 285th 441 35.4%
2023 26.67 276th 379 27.2%
2024 14.37 144th 164 12.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 57.19 59th 256 77.0%
2022 30.76 140th 255 45.1%
2023 32.65 71st 128 44.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 49.88 33rd 94 64.9%
2022 20.13 80th 129 38.0%
2023 32.49 30th 41 26.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Poston Butte High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.80 244th 291 16.2%
2019 11.90 204th 217 6.0%
2021 37.53 278th 448 37.9%
2022 20.65 312th 409 23.7%
2023 26.89 277th 371 25.3%
2024 12.73 159th 174 8.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High 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.

Poston Butte High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1.8)
0%

25%

0%

0%

75%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, February 23, 2018

Open Quote Black families beware! This school is extremely racist and promotes a bullying culture. When it comes to protecting your child, they will not do it. The higher up admin sweeps incidents under the rug and do not address properly parents concerns! I do not recommend this school. The catch 22 is, out here in San Tan Valley, it is the better of the horrible schools out here. Some of the teachers are great. This is not a premier high school. Please believe all of the bad reviews you have read!!! Close Quote


by a student
Thursday, November 10, 2011

Open Quote I attend here, and have been to quite a few schools. This one (and the FUSD's for that matter) has a unique laptop program, and the staff care more about their students then most teachers. The students are also very supportive, I am a new freshmen and have not gotten one comment yet. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Poston Butte High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2010 526 87 14 199 14 n/a n/a 0 840
2011 700 139 34 401 25 3 8 0 1310
2012 975 215 33 483 21 10 18 0 1755
2013 928 210 33 513 21 15 16 0 1736
2014 863 189 34 493 21 20 26 0 1646
2015 978 191 28 527 28 25 24 0 1801
2016 1011 185 29 611 30 22 30 0 1918
2017 833 163 28 606 23 11 21 0 1685
2018 669 125 22 497 27 5 20 0 1365
2019 691 127 13 556 38 6 23 0 1454
2020 662 136 12 581 34 4 57 0 1486
2021 635 137 22 586 37 10 40 0 1467
2022 584 142 18 606 34 14 36 0 1434
2023 585 139 16 570 30 13 40 0 1393

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 Poston Butte High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 840 40.0 21.0 48.6
2011 1310 58.5 22.3 46.9
2012 1755 71.0 24.6 47
2013 1736 76.7 22.6 45.3
2014 1646 72.1 22.8 44.8
2015 1801 80.0 22.5 28.8
2016 1918 84.0 22.8 11.7
2017 1685 83.2 20.2 50.7
2018 1365 81.6 16.7 50
2019 1454 70.4 20.6 49.9
2020 1486 67.8 21.9 48.9
2021 1467 73.4 19.9 n/a
2022 1434 73.6 19.4 15.6
2023 1393 71.7 19.4 44.9

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 Poston Butte High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 840 40.0 21.0 48.6
2011 1310 58.5 22.3 46.9
2012 1755 71.0 24.6 47
2013 1736 76.7 22.6 45.3
2014 1646 72.1 22.8 44.8
2015 1801 80.0 22.5 28.8
2016 1918 84.0 22.8 11.7
2017 1685 83.2 20.2 50.7
2018 1365 81.6 16.7 50
2019 1454 70.4 20.6 49.9
2020 1486 67.8 21.9 48.9
2021 1467 73.4 19.9 n/a
2022 1434 73.6 19.4 15.6
2023 1393 71.7 19.4 44.9

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 Poston Butte High 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 $268 (4.9%) $28 (0.5%) $565 (10.3%) $4,730 (86.0%) $473 (8.6%) $5,203 (94.6%) $5,500
2021 $306 (4.3%) $329 (4.7%) $940 (13.3%) $5,646 (80.0%) $775 (11.0%) $6,421 (91.0%) $7,055
2022 $376 (5.5%) $309 (4.5%) $1,060 (15.4%) $5,283 (76.7%) $915 (13.3%) $6,199 (90.0%) $6,884

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Poston Butte High 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 241st of 285 High schoolsRanks 255th of 469 High schools
 30.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students14541393
 4.2%
African American127139
 9.4%
American Indian3830
 21.1%
Asian1316
 23.1%
Hispanic556570
 2.5%
Pacific Islander613
 116.7%
White691585
 15.3%
Two or More Races2340
 73.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients49.9%44.9%
 5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Poston Butte High School

Students at Poston Butte High School are 42% White, 41% Hispanic, 10% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,393 students attended Poston Butte High School.

Poston Butte High School ranks in the bottom 22.0% of Arizona high schools.

Poston Butte High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Circle Cross K8 STEM Academy
Elementary : Copper Basin


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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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