Cortez High School

Summary:

Cortez High School is a public high school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving grades 9-12 and part of the Glendale Union High School District. The school has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup that includes 14.04% White, 12.32% African American, 60.51% Hispanic, 5.43% Asian, 4.62% Native American, 0.18% Pacific Islander, and 2.9% two or more races.

Cortez High School consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in academic metrics. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 29% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 38% for the district and state. In Mathematics, only 23% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better, compared to 31% for the district and 30% for the state. The school's four-year graduation rate has declined from 87.1% in 2018-2019 to 84.8% in 2022-2023, lower than the state average. Additionally, the school's dropout rate has increased from 0.4% in 2018-2019 to 3.1% in 2020-2021, higher than the state average.

Interestingly, Glendale Union High School District Online Learning Academy and Glendale Union Online, two other schools in the district, also have lower academic performance and graduation rates compared to state averages. However, Cortez High School has shown relatively strong performance in supporting its homeless and foster care student populations, ranking 18 out of 60 and 48 out of 116 Arizona high schools, respectively, in the 2022-2023 school year.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 8828 N 31st Ave
       Phoenix, AZ  85051-3928


(623) 915-8200

District: Glendale Union High School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
182nd of 259 Arizona High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,719 Help


Feeder schools for Cortez High School:

Elementary:    Alta Vista Elementary School
    Cactus Wren Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  20.5 Help
Number of students:  1,104

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
60.5%
White:
14.0%
African American:
12.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  71.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Cortez High School ranks worse than 70.3% of high schools in Arizona. It also ranks 8th among 9 ranked high schools in the Glendale Union High School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.54. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Cortez High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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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 Student population at Cortez High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (60.5%), White (14%), African American (12.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 71.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cortez High School is 20.5, which is the 5th best among 9 high schools in the Glendale Union High School District. (See more...)
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Compare Cortez High School employs 53.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cortez High School is $12,719, which is the 2nd highest among 9 high schools in the Glendale Union High School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cortez High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cortez High School 182nd of 259 Arizona public high schools. (See Cortez 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:


Glendale Union High School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Glendale Union High School District 165th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Cortez High School

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Rank History for all students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 71.94 123rd 395 68.9%
2010 69.35 135th 403 66.5%
2011 67.76 140th 397 64.7%
2012 63.99 172nd 471 63.5%
2013 75.88 116th 491 76.4%
2014 69.41 133rd 394 66.2%
2015 32.41 157th 261 39.8%
2016 54.17 132nd 406 67.5%
2017 53.16 131st 416 68.5%
2018 51.04 144th 420 65.7%
2019 34.44 165th 285 42.1%
2021 32.92 300th 509 41.1%
2022 29.57 272nd 464 41.4%
2023 40.59 243rd 469 48.2%
2024 26.54 182nd 259 29.7%
See the entire list of Arizona High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 33.04 232nd 374 38.0%
2022 10.14 234th 282 17.0%
2023 33.29 137th 199 31.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.75 33rd 45 26.7%
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 Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.74 64th 155 58.7%
2021 31.85 212th 422 49.8%
2022 32.37 192nd 380 49.5%
2023 22.74 150th 172 12.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 29.26 109th 168 35.1%
2023 47.47 159th 347 54.2%
2024 35.31 108th 168 35.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 58.14 45th 168 73.2%
2022 28.02 72nd 150 52.0%
2023 69.57 18th 60 70.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.30 137th 354 61.3%
2019 34.27 145th 247 41.3%
2021 33.48 292nd 492 40.7%
2022 28.62 286th 456 37.3%
2023 36.27 239th 406 41.1%
2024 24.17 144th 193 25.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 34.65 38th 130 70.8%
2022 30.47 48th 116 58.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.54 165th 370 55.4%
2019 32.98 141st 238 40.8%
2021 33.80 288th 492 41.5%
2022 30.33 260th 455 42.9%
2023 36.48 250th 429 41.7%
2024 21.80 153rd 207 26.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.18 74th 83 10.8%
2021 16.47 180th 231 22.1%
2022 20.69 195th 238 18.1%
2023 1.34 146th 146 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.98 63rd 122 48.4%
2021 24.04 202nd 306 34.0%
2022 25.45 211th 301 29.9%
2023 40.51 104th 201 48.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.94 74th 311 76.2%
2019 47.06 71st 183 61.2%
2021 39.72 246th 479 48.6%
2022 36.45 226th 441 48.8%
2023 47.67 172nd 379 54.6%
2024 39.09 95th 164 42.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.23 13th 68 80.9%
2021 81.73 25th 256 90.2%
2022 75.34 37th 255 85.5%
2023 32.07 72nd 128 43.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Cortez High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.44 154th 291 47.1%
2019 29.90 157th 217 27.6%
2021 41.07 263rd 448 41.3%
2022 49.80 173rd 409 57.7%
2023 23.44 291st 371 21.6%
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.

Cortez 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: 3.5)
50%

0%

0%

50%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Open Quote Wonderful teachers. Highly Recommended. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Cortez High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1387 19 15 118 16 n/a n/a -159 1396
1989 1304 28 21 115 11 n/a n/a -234 1245
1990 1172 25 23 121 11 n/a n/a -240 1112
1991 1032 39 23 114 12 n/a n/a -166 1054
1992 850 42 18 111 14 n/a n/a 0 1035
1993 813 42 14 144 7 n/a n/a 0 1020
1994 773 43 22 150 13 n/a n/a 0 1001
1995 756 52 28 202 21 n/a n/a 0 1059
1996 756 52 28 202 21 n/a n/a 0 1059
1997 788 59 31 218 18 n/a n/a 0 1114
1998 728 55 26 230 24 n/a n/a 0 1063
1999 715 69 26 225 33 n/a n/a 0 1068
2000 680 68 29 286 47 n/a n/a 0 1110
2001 594 92 26 286 32 n/a n/a 0 1030
2002 601 97 32 359 49 n/a n/a 0 1138
2003 601 97 32 359 49 n/a n/a 0 1138
2004 587 113 36 422 66 n/a n/a 0 1224
2005 562 131 31 510 73 n/a n/a 0 1307
2006 537 128 36 544 82 n/a n/a 0 1327
2007 484 129 38 595 83 n/a n/a 0 1329
2008 441 116 50 613 88 n/a n/a 0 1308
2009 396 124 71 590 88 n/a n/a 0 1269
2010 397 114 87 596 77 n/a n/a 0 1271
2011 374 106 95 567 65 1 8 0 1216
2012 339 104 86 555 55 2 18 0 1159
2013 319 112 76 596 55 1 22 0 1181
2014 273 113 73 621 60 3 13 0 1156
2015 248 117 68 615 62 4 13 0 1127
2016 234 119 72 632 54 3 13 0 1127
2017 220 134 87 673 60 6 17 0 1197
2018 213 127 66 644 50 5 14 0 1119
2019 224 172 55 695 50 5 13 0 1214
2020 184 202 51 714 60 5 19 0 1235
2021 150 201 56 697 52 3 23 0 1182
2022 139 173 52 636 52 1 32 0 1085
2023 155 136 60 668 51 2 32 0 1104

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 Cortez High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1396 63.8 21.8 n/a
1989 1245 58.4 21.3 n/a
1990 1112 50.6 21.9 n/a
1991 1054 52.0 20.2 n/a
1992 1035 51.6 20.0 n/a
1993 1020 52.2 19.5 n/a
1994 1001 51.2 19.6 n/a
1995 1059 54.0 19.6 n/a
1996 1059 54.0 19.6 n/a
1997 1114 54.6 20.4 n/a
1998 1063 55.8 19.1 n/a
1999 1068 55.0 19.4 n/a
2000 1110 54.8 20.3 n/a
2001 1030 58.6 17.6 n/a
2002 1138 60.8 18.7 n/a
2003 1138 60.8 18.7 n/a
2004 1224 63.6 19.2 n/a
2005 1307 65.0 20.1 34.4
2006 1327 71.4 18.6 56.3
2007 1329 73.4 18.1 42.7
2008 1308 70.8 18.5 59.8
2009 1269 68.2 18.6 56.7
2010 1271 62.0 20.5 65.9
2011 1216 60.8 20.0 71.3
2012 1159 58.4 19.8 65.2
2013 1181 58.4 20.2 80.4
2014 1156 58.8 19.6 81.2
2015 1127 55.0 20.4 80.6
2016 1127 55.0 20.4 77
2017 1197 58.2 20.5 n/a
2018 1119 60.2 18.5 74.9
2019 1214 58.0 20.9 75
2020 1235 58.2 21.2 70
2021 1182 59.8 19.7 n/a
2022 1085 56.2 19.3 35.2
2023 1104 53.8 20.5 71.9

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 Cortez High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1396 63.8 21.8 n/a
1989 1245 58.4 21.3 n/a
1990 1112 50.6 21.9 n/a
1991 1054 52.0 20.2 n/a
1992 1035 51.6 20.0 n/a
1993 1020 52.2 19.5 n/a
1994 1001 51.2 19.6 n/a
1995 1059 54.0 19.6 n/a
1996 1059 54.0 19.6 n/a
1997 1114 54.6 20.4 n/a
1998 1063 55.8 19.1 n/a
1999 1068 55.0 19.4 n/a
2000 1110 54.8 20.3 n/a
2001 1030 58.6 17.6 n/a
2002 1138 60.8 18.7 n/a
2003 1138 60.8 18.7 n/a
2004 1224 63.6 19.2 n/a
2005 1307 65.0 20.1 34.4
2006 1327 71.4 18.6 56.3
2007 1329 73.4 18.1 42.7
2008 1308 70.8 18.5 59.8
2009 1269 68.2 18.6 56.7
2010 1271 62.0 20.5 65.9
2011 1216 60.8 20.0 71.3
2012 1159 58.4 19.8 65.2
2013 1181 58.4 20.2 80.4
2014 1156 58.8 19.6 81.2
2015 1127 55.0 20.4 80.6
2016 1127 55.0 20.4 77
2017 1197 58.2 20.5 n/a
2018 1119 60.2 18.5 74.9
2019 1214 58.0 20.9 75
2020 1235 58.2 21.2 70
2021 1182 59.8 19.7 n/a
2022 1085 56.2 19.3 35.2
2023 1104 53.8 20.5 71.9

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 Cortez 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 $127 (11.7%) $38 (3.5%) $292 (26.8%) $869 (79.9%) $54 (5.0%) $923 (84.8%) $1,088
2020 $814 (7.5%) $178 (1.6%) $1,806 (16.7%) $8,274 (76.6%) $1,532 (14.2%) $9,806 (90.8%) $10,798
2021 $1,412 (14.3%) $221 (2.2%) $3,044 (30.8%) $7,013 (71.0%) $1,227 (12.4%) $8,240 (83.5%) $9,873
2022 $782 (6.1%) $111 (0.9%) $1,674 (13.2%) $10,012 (78.7%) $1,814 (14.3%) $11,826 (93.0%) $12,719

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Cortez 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 165th of 285 High schoolsRanks 243rd of 469 High schools
 6.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students12141104
 9.1%
African American172136
 20.9%
American Indian5051
 2%
Asian5560
 9.1%
Hispanic695668
 3.9%
Pacific Islander52
 60%
White224155
 30.8%
Two or More Races1332
 146.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients75%71.9%
 3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Cortez High School

Cortez High School ranks 182nd of 259 Arizona high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,104 students attended Cortez High School.

Cortez High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alta Vista Elementary School
Elementary : Cactus Wren Elementary School

Students at Cortez High School are 61% Hispanic, 14% White, 12% African American, 5% Asian, 5% American Indian, 3% 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.





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