McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Q: Is McDowell Mountain Elementary School a good school?

McDowell Mountain Elementary School ranks 606 th of 912 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

McDowell Mountain Elementary School is a public elementary school in Fountain Hills, Arizona, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 297. The school is part of the Fountain Hills Unified District, which is ranked 184 out of 288 districts in Arizona and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McDowell Mountain Elementary's academic performance, as measured by state assessments, has been declining over the past few years, with proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics falling below state and district averages. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade proficiency rates were 28% in both ELA and Math, compared to the state averages of 39% and 43%, respectively. This trend is concerning and may indicate a need for the school to evaluate its instructional practices and resource allocation to improve student outcomes. Additionally, the school has seen an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 15.85% in 2021-2022 to 31.65% in 2022-2023, suggesting that the school may be serving a more economically disadvantaged population, which can present unique challenges in terms of student support and resource needs.

When compared to nearby high-performing schools like Cochise Elementary and Cheyenne Traditional School, the stark contrast in academic performance highlights opportunities for McDowell Mountain Elementary to learn from these successful schools and implement best practices. Analyzing the instructional approaches, resource allocation, and other factors that contribute to the success of these high-performing schools could provide valuable insights for improving McDowell Mountain Elementary's student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

15414 N McDowell Mountain Rd
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268-2364

(480) 664-5210

District: Fountain Hills Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
606^th of 912 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,703

Students who attend McDowell Mountain Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Fountain Hills Middle School
High:	Fountain Hills High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.3

Number of students: 297

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.2%

Hispanic:

21.5%

American Indian:

17.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details McDowell Mountain Elementary School ranks worse than 66.4% of elementary schools in Arizona. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.38. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at McDowell Mountain Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (52.2%), Hispanic (21.5%), American Indian (17.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McDowell Mountain Elementary School is $11,703.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McDowell Mountain Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell Mountain Elementary School 606^th of 912 Arizona public elementary schools. (See McDowell Mountain Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Fountain Hills Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Fountain Hills Unified District 177^th of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McDowell Mountain Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	27.38	606^th	912	33.6%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	35.18	396^th	602	34.2%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	16.41	528^th	628	15.9%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	16.07	434^th	486	10.7%

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.

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for McDowell Mountain Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	501	5	1	8	23	n/a	n/a	37	575
1990	553	6	5	12	40	n/a	n/a	-65	551
1991	574	9	4	21	41	n/a	n/a	-31	618
1992	539	15	7	22	31	n/a	n/a	1	615
1993	506	2	6	19	58	n/a	n/a	0	591
1994	551	3	7	21	71	n/a	n/a	0	653
1995	593	5	4	26	73	n/a	n/a	0	701
1996	593	5	4	26	73	n/a	n/a	0	701
1997	607	1	11	31	53	n/a	n/a	0	703
1998	570	1	7	30	53	n/a	n/a	0	661
1999	583	0	6	28	59	n/a	n/a	0	676
2000	562	8	10	31	53	n/a	n/a	0	664
2001	542	7	4	35	27	n/a	n/a	0	615
2002	388	2	12	18	27	n/a	n/a	0	447
2003	388	2	12	18	27	n/a	n/a	0	447
2004	391	4	15	17	22	n/a	n/a	0	449
2005	411	5	16	25	21	n/a	n/a	0	478
2006	412	9	15	27	10	n/a	n/a	0	473
2007	436	8	10	23	14	n/a	n/a	0	491
2008	429	9	11	23	12	n/a	n/a	0	484
2009	425	4	11	28	21	n/a	n/a	0	489
2010	332	10	20	31	45	n/a	n/a	0	438
2011	306	4	10	25	46	1	20	0	412
2012	369	5	9	43	66	1	27	0	520
2013	350	9	5	46	74	0	31	0	515
2014	316	9	4	53	73	0	36	0	491
2015	284	8	5	53	74	0	26	0	450
2016	241	9	2	52	70	1	27	0	402
2017	218	6	1	46	60	0	25	0	356
2018	216	6	2	47	62	0	25	0	358
2019	206	3	1	47	67	0	28	0	352
2020	216	5	6	59	69	0	25	0	380
2021	181	3	5	68	55	0	21	0	333
2022	203	1	3	65	56	0	19	0	347
2023	155	2	1	64	53	2	20	0	297

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 McDowell Mountain Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	575	25.0	23.0	n/a
1990	551	25.4	21.6	n/a
1991	618	27.4	22.5	n/a
1992	615	31.0	19.8	n/a
1993	591	32.5	18.2	n/a
1994	653	33.5	19.5	n/a
1995	701	35.5	19.7	n/a
1996	701	35.5	19.7	n/a
1997	703	36.0	19.5	n/a
1998	661	34.8	19.0	n/a
1999	676	34.0	19.9	n/a
2000	664	34.0	19.5	n/a
2001	615	42.0	14.6	n/a
2002	447	25.1	17.8	11.4
2003	447	25.1	17.8	11.4
2004	449	25.6	17.5	13.8
2005	478	27.3	17.5	14.4
2006	473	31.2	15.2	10.8
2007	491	29.1	16.9	9.6
2008	484	32.5	14.9	n/a
2009	489	33.5	14.6	14.3
2010	438	29.5	14.8	0.2
2011	412	30.0	13.7	0
2012	520	36.5	14.2	20
2013	515	34.0	15.1	0
2014	491	32.0	15.3	24
2015	450	32.0	14.0	31.6
2016	402	26.0	15.4	38.8
2017	356	21.5	16.5	42.7
2018	358	27.0	13.2	34.9
2019	352	26.0	13.5	39.8
2020	380	28.0	13.5	34.7
2021	333	26.0	12.8	n/a
2022	347	20.0	17.3	15.9
2023	297	n/a	n/a	31.6

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 McDowell Mountain Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	575	25.0	23.0	n/a
1990	551	25.4	21.6	n/a
1991	618	27.4	22.5	n/a
1992	615	31.0	19.8	n/a
1993	591	32.5	18.2	n/a
1994	653	33.5	19.5	n/a
1995	701	35.5	19.7	n/a
1996	701	35.5	19.7	n/a
1997	703	36.0	19.5	n/a
1998	661	34.8	19.0	n/a
1999	676	34.0	19.9	n/a
2000	664	34.0	19.5	n/a
2001	615	42.0	14.6	n/a
2002	447	25.1	17.8	11.4
2003	447	25.1	17.8	11.4
2004	449	25.6	17.5	13.8
2005	478	27.3	17.5	14.4
2006	473	31.2	15.2	10.8
2007	491	29.1	16.9	9.6
2008	484	32.5	14.9	n/a
2009	489	33.5	14.6	14.3
2010	438	29.5	14.8	0.2
2011	412	30.0	13.7	0
2012	520	36.5	14.2	20
2013	515	34.0	15.1	0
2014	491	32.0	15.3	24
2015	450	32.0	14.0	31.6
2016	402	26.0	15.4	38.8
2017	356	21.5	16.5	42.7
2018	358	27.0	13.2	34.9
2019	352	26.0	13.5	39.8
2020	380	28.0	13.5	34.7
2021	333	26.0	12.8	n/a
2022	347	20.0	17.3	15.9
2023	297	n/a	n/a	31.6

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 McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$840 (6.3%)	$27 (0.2%)	$1,707 (12.8%)	$9,210 (68.9%)	$3,293 (24.6%)	$12,504 (93.5%)	$13,371
2020	$664 (7.2%)	$392 (4.3%)	$1,719 (18.7%)	$7,828 (84.9%)	$332 (3.6%)	$8,160 (88.5%)	$9,216
2021	$798 (5.7%)	$728 (5.2%)	$2,323 (16.6%)	$9,851 (70.4%)	$2,608 (18.6%)	$12,460 (89.1%)	$13,985
2022	$2,008 (17.2%)	$525 (4.5%)	$4,541 (38.8%)	$7,174 (61.3%)	$1,996 (17.1%)	$9,170 (78.4%)	$11,702

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McDowell Mountain 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	352	297	15.6%
African American	3	2	33.3%
American Indian	67	53	20.9%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	47	64	36.2%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	206	155	24.8%
Two or More Races	28	20	28.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.8%	31.6%	8.1%

Schools Near McDowell Mountain Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				AASA English Language Arts (2024)						AASA Mathematics (2024)						AzSCI Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
McDowell Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	15414 N McDowell Mountain Rd	Fountain Hills	85268	Maricopa County	Fountain Hills Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 664-5210	297	20	17.3	31.6%	155 (52.2%)	2 (0.7%)	64 (21.5%)	1 (0.3%)	53 (17.8%)	2 (0.7%)	20 (6.7%)	27.4	606^th of 912 public elementary schools	33.6%					(n/a)	28.0	45.0	32.0				28.0	24.0	29.0				37.0		$11,703	$2,008	$525	$4,541	$7,174	$1,996	$9,170
Mission Montessori Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	12990 E Shea Blvd	Scottsdale	85259	Maricopa County	Little Lamb Community School	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 860-4330	133				91 (68.4%)	4 (3.0%)	23 (17.3%)	2 (1.5%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	11 (8.3%)	94.3	39^th of 912 public elementary schools	95.7%		70.5	332^nd of 1245 public elementary schools	73.3%	293	75.0		90.0				75.0		65.0				65.0			$00			$00
Anasazi Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12121 N 124th St	Scottsdale	85259	Maricopa County	Scottsdale Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 484-7300	442	29	15.4	12.7%	306 (69.2%)	9 (2.0%)	55 (12.4%)	38 (8.6%)	13 (2.9%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (4.3%)	86.2	111^th of 912 public elementary schools	87.8%		94.6	53^rd of 1245 public elementary schools	95.7%	58	57.0	75.0	61.0				63.0	66.0	60.0				67.0		$7,345	$91	$996	$1,178	$6,354		$6,258
Desert Canyon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10203 E McDowell Mountain Ranc	Scottsdale	85255	Maricopa County	Scottsdale Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 484-1700	496	35	14.3	6.7%	376 (75.8%)	13 (2.6%)	58 (11.7%)	22 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.0%)	87.4	97^th of 912 public elementary schools	89.4%		94.6	52^nd of 1245 public elementary schools	95.8%	45	64.0	76.0	62.0				74.0	64.0	64.0				52.0		$7,545	$274	$01	$549	$6,863	$408	$7,271
Laguna Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10475 E Lakeview Dr	Scottsdale	85258	Maricopa County	Scottsdale Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 484-2400	370	30	12.3	11.9%	267 (72.2%)	9 (2.4%)	47 (12.7%)	34 (9.2%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.9%)	75.8	198^th of 912 public elementary schools	78.3%		87.2	153^rd of 1245 public elementary schools	87.7%	45	58.0	60.0	51.0				69.0	54.0	60.0				46.0		$10,408	$295	$761	$1,351	$9,050	$301	$9,352
Cheyenne Traditional School	Public	PK, KG-8	13636 N 100th St	Scottsdale	85260	Maricopa County	Scottsdale Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 484-5600	880	47	18.7	3.9%	675 (76.7%)	4 (0.5%)	91 (10.3%)	75 (8.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (3.6%)	96.4	19^th of 912 public elementary schools	97.9%		97.5	17^th of 1245 public elementary schools	98.6%	2	75.0	86.0	79.0	77.0	78.0	82.0	85.0	75.0	75.0	72.0	69.0	68.0	68.0	65.0	$5,968	$80	$482	$642	$5,322	$85	$5,406
Copper Ridge School	Public	PK, KG-8	10101 E Thompson Peak Pkwy	Scottsdale	85255	Maricopa County	Scottsdale Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 484-1400	600	39	15.3	5.0%	488 (81.3%)	15 (2.5%)	54 (9.0%)	21 (3.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.2%)	81.8	150^th of 912 public elementary schools	83.6%		85.4	176^th of 1245 public elementary schools	85.9%	26	66.0	82.0	60.0	68.0	60.0	56.0	67.0	76.0	52.0	49.0	48.0	37.0	43.0	46.0	$7,613	$185	$499	$870	$6,365	$563	$6,928
Redfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	9181 E Redfield Rd	Scottsdale	85260	Maricopa County	Scottsdale Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 484-4000	428	31	14.0	19.9%	283 (66.1%)	22 (5.1%)	67 (15.7%)	37 (8.6%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	78.8	177^th of 912 public elementary schools	80.6%		89.1	132^nd of 1245 public elementary schools	89.4%	45	51.0	64.0	77.0				52.0	51.0	66.0				60.0		$8,690	$60	$656	$776	$7,896	$78	$7,974
Red Mountain Ranch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6650 E Raftriver St	Mesa	85215	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 472-7900	434	34	12.7	24.9%	301 (69.4%)	9 (2.1%)	84 (19.4%)	5 (1.2%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	25 (5.8%)	70.2	247^th of 912 public elementary schools	72.9%		77.3	266^th of 1245 public elementary schools	78.6%	19	53.0	60.0	53.0	58.0			52.0	48.0	50.0	53.0			52.0		$8,641	$360	$05	$725	$8,008	$268	$8,276
Salt River Elementary School	Public	K-6	11562 East Highland Ave.	Scottsdale	85256	Maricopa County	Salt River Elementary School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(480) 362-2400	252	30	8.4	98.8%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	252 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about McDowell Mountain Elementary School

What schools do graduates of McDowell Mountain Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McDowell Mountain Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fountain Hills Middle School
High : Fountain Hills High School

How many students attend McDowell Mountain Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 297 students attended McDowell Mountain Elementary School.

What district is McDowell Mountain Elementary School in?

Fountain Hills Unified District

Is McDowell Mountain Elementary School a good school?

McDowell Mountain Elementary School ranks 606^th of 912 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of McDowell Mountain Elementary School?

Students at McDowell Mountain Elementary School are 52% White, 22% Hispanic, 18% American Indian, 7% Two or more races.

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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.