Is Combs Traditional Academy a good school?

Combs Traditional Academy ranks 317 th of 904 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Combs Traditional Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 227 students attended Combs Traditional Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Combs Traditional Academy?

Students at Combs Traditional Academy are 48% White, 41% Hispanic, 6% African American, 6% Two or more races.

Combs Traditional Academy

Summary:

Combs Traditional Academy is an elementary school located in San Tan Valley, Arizona, serving 227 students in grades K-6. As part of the J.O. Combs Unified School District, Combs Traditional Academy has consistently outperformed the district and the state of Arizona in academic proficiency across various grade levels and subjects.

With a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger, Combs Traditional Academy stands out for its strong academic performance. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 45-56% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 45-54% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the district's 24-38% and the state's 30-46% in these areas. The school also performs well across various student subgroups, ranking 18th out of 289 Arizona elementary schools for its African American student performance and 200th out of 1,170 for its Hispanic student performance.

While Combs Traditional Academy's overall performance remains strong, its statewide ranking has declined from 128th out of 1,079 elementary schools in 2015-2016 to 317th out of 904 in 2023-2024, suggesting that other schools in the state may be improving at a faster rate. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in its free and reduced lunch rate, from 15.38% in 2021-2022 to 41.41% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Detail:

Public K-6

38300 N Gantzel Rd
San Tan Valley, AZ 85140-7356

(480) 987-5320

District: J O Combs Unified School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
317^th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,463

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 227

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.6%

Hispanic:

40.5%

African American:

5.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41.4%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Combs Traditional Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Combs Traditional Academy ranks better than 64.9% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks first among 5 ranked elementary schools in the J O Combs Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.21. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Combs Traditional Academy has the smallest elementary school student body size in the J O Combs Unified School District. Racial makeup is: White (47.6%), Hispanic (40.5%), African American (5.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Combs Traditional Academy is 15.1, which is the lowest among 6 elementary schools in the J O Combs Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Combs Traditional Academy employs 15 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Combs Traditional Academy is $6,463, which is the 3^rd highest among 5 elementary schools in the J O Combs Unified School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Combs Traditional Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

J O Combs Unified School District:

SchoolDigger ranks J O Combs Unified School District 216^th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Combs Traditional Academy

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Rank History for all students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2013	83.57	130^th	1158	88.8%
2014	76.80	247^th	1079	77.1%
2015	79.54	175^th	955	81.7%
2016	86.99	128^th	1079	88.1%
2017	84.50	173^rd	1106	84.4%
2018	71.95	304^th	1109	72.6%
2019	65.59	359^th	1039	65.4%
2021	71.51	331^st	1226	73.0%
2022	72.04	231^st	1000	76.9%
2023	76.68	276^th	1245	77.8%
2024	61.21	317^th	904	64.9%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	66.25	245^th	1027	76.1%
2022	29.71	386^th	444	13.1%
2023	55.04	228^th	617	63.0%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	39.29	545^th	975	44.1%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	42.75	577^th	1201	52.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	77.62	121^st	820	85.2%
2023	57.53	386^th	1116	65.4%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	75.97	246^th	1023	76.0%
2019	47.96	418^th	862	51.5%
2021	74.50	286^th	1219	76.5%
2022	49.45	414^th	824	49.8%
2023	69.48	327^th	1219	73.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	63.39	359^th	1032	65.2%
2019	73.10	210^th	850	75.3%
2021	61.12	417^th	1220	65.8%
2022	69.56	212^th	830	74.5%
2023	79.36	222^nd	1216	81.7%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	47.84	363^rd	620	41.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	65.79	141^st	895	84.2%
2022	81.31	18^th	289	93.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	61.13	299^th	911	67.2%
2021	68.71	275^th	1198	77.0%
2023	76.47	200^th	1170	82.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Combs Traditional Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	63.23	279^th	720	61.3%
2019	51.48	294^th	595	50.6%
2021	64.10	371^st	1161	68.0%
2022	54.93	341^st	800	57.4%
2023	66.18	301^st	1024	70.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.7)

67%

33%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Great teachers, staff and very family oriented. Love this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, December 5, 2016

Not a school for people of color. Principal and some of the teachers were not educated in diversity well enough. Terrible experiences as a person of color. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, November 6, 2012

CTA is a great school with high standards and expectations. The staff is amazing and the atomshpere is top notch. I love the fact that it is a small school and my son is not a number. As you walk in the halls, every teacher knows him by name. You can't get that many places in Arizona. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Combs Traditional Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2011	50	5	3	24	1	0	5	88
2012	82	6	4	41	5	1	4	143
2013	113	9	8	50	5	0	5	190
2014	131	13	7	64	6	0	7	228
2015	153	11	10	76	10	0	16	276
2016	154	22	12	78	8	0	13	287
2017	132	25	11	78	4	0	12	262
2018	137	21	7	82	3	0	16	266
2019	146	17	6	110	3	0	18	300
2020	141	21	3	112	3	0	18	298
2021	128	18	3	103	3	0	13	268
2022	131	16	2	110	0	0	14	273
2023	108	13	1	92	0	0	13	227

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 Combs Traditional Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	88	4.8	18.1	38.6
2012	143	5.9	24.2	28.7
2013	190	7.9	24.0	22.1
2014	228	8.6	26.3	33.3
2015	276	10.0	27.6	n/a
2016	287	12.0	23.9	32.1
2017	262	13.3	19.6	38.5
2018	266	13.1	20.3	34.6
2019	300	13.0	22.9	36
2020	298	12.6	23.5	31.5
2021	268	15.0	17.8	n/a
2022	273	15.0	18.1	15.4
2023	227	15.0	15.1	41.4

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 Combs Traditional Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	88	4.8	18.1	38.6
2012	143	5.9	24.2	28.7
2013	190	7.9	24.0	22.1
2014	228	8.6	26.3	33.3
2015	276	10.0	27.6	n/a
2016	287	12.0	23.9	32.1
2017	262	13.3	19.6	38.5
2018	266	13.1	20.3	34.6
2019	300	13.0	22.9	36
2020	298	12.6	23.5	31.5
2021	268	15.0	17.8	n/a
2022	273	15.0	18.1	15.4
2023	227	15.0	15.1	41.4

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 Combs Traditional Academy

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	$227 (3.3%)	$46 (0.7%)	$501 (7.3%)	$5,832 (84.7%)	$781 (11.3%)	$6,613 (96.0%)	$6,886
2020	$130 (2.6%)	$301 (5.9%)	$560 (11.0%)	$4,779 (94.2%)	n/a	$4,645 (91.5%)	$5,075
2021	$276 (4.4%)	$542 (8.6%)	$1,094 (17.4%)	$5,570 (88.6%)	n/a	$5,470 (87.0%)	$6,288
2022	$342 (5.3%)	$66 (1.0%)	$750 (11.6%)	$5,791 (89.6%)	$264 (4.1%)	$6,056 (93.7%)	$6,463

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Combs Traditional Academy

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 359^th of 1039 Elementary schools	Ranks 276^th of 1245 Elementary schools	12.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	300	227	24.3%
African American	17	13	23.5%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	6	1	83.3%
Hispanic	110	92	16.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	146	108	26%
Two or More Races	18	13	27.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	36%	41.4%	5.4%

Schools Near Combs Traditional Academy

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)						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	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
Combs Traditional Academy	Public	K-6	38300 N Gantzel Rd	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 987-5320	227	15	15.1	41.4%	108 (47.6%)	13 (5.7%)	92 (40.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.7%)	61.2	317^th of 904 public elementary schools	64.9%		76.7	276^th of 1245 public elementary schools	77.8%	41		45.0	44.0	56.0				45.0	50.0	54.0			$6,463	$342	$66	$750	$5,791	$264	$6,056
Ellsworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	38454 N Carolina Ave	Queen Creek	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 882-3520	564	30	18.8	49.8%	249 (44.1%)	27 (4.8%)	243 (43.1%)	5 (0.9%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (5.9%)	12.6	824^th of 904 public elementary schools	8.8%		21.9	963^rd of 1245 public elementary schools	22.7%	139	16.0	28.0	19.0	30.0									$6,414	$496	$67	$1,059	$5,635	$215	$5,851
J. O. Combs Middle School	Public	K-8	37611 N Pecan Crk	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 882-3510	655	28	23.4	44.9%	338 (51.6%)	23 (3.5%)	234 (35.7%)	5 (0.8%)	14 (2.1%)	2 (0.3%)	39 (6.0%)								(n/a)					26.0	27.0					21.0	19.0	$5,736	$521	$52	$1,094	$4,572	$591	$5,163
Circle Cross K8 STEM Academy	Public	K-8	35900 N Charbray Dr	San Tan Valley	85143	Pinal County	Florence Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 987-7600	742	43	17.4	49.9%	336 (45.3%)	49 (6.6%)	297 (40.0%)	11 (1.5%)	18 (2.4%)	8 (1.1%)	23 (3.1%)	24.1	638^th of 904 public elementary schools	29.4%		36.5	725^th of 1245 public elementary schools	41.8%	87	37.0	37.0	20.0	20.0	31.0	33.0	53.0	25.0	12.0		29.0	28.0	$6,667	$399	$273	$1,072	$5,463	$531	$5,994
Schnepf Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	23161 E Grange Pkwy	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Queen Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 987-5935	776	41	19.0	18.8%	505 (65.1%)	14 (1.8%)	210 (27.1%)	8 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	34 (4.4%)	75.3	201^st of 904 public elementary schools	77.8%		83.3	202^nd of 1245 public elementary schools	83.8%	1	55.0	61.0	55.0	66.0			61.0	48.0	45.0	73.0			$6,895	$2,776		$5,551	$2,667	$1,452	$4,119
Jack Harmon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	39315 N Cortona Dr	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 882-3500	425	25	17.0	55.8%	193 (45.4%)	29 (6.8%)	169 (39.8%)	8 (1.9%)	7 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	17 (4.0%)	14	797^th of 904 public elementary schools	11.8%		34.5	753^rd of 1245 public elementary schools	39.5%	44	31.0	27.0		22.0			20.0						$7,267	$1,024	$71	$2,118	$5,880	$293	$6,173
Legacy Traditional-San Tan	Public, Charter	K-8	1679 W. Empire Blvd	San Tan Valley	85143	Pinal County	Legacy Traditional School-San Tan	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(480) 576-4600	585			30.8%	256 (43.8%)	56 (9.6%)	201 (34.4%)	11 (1.9%)	4 (0.7%)	9 (1.5%)	48 (8.2%)	39.9	476^th of 904 public elementary schools	47.3%		67.6	364^th of 1245 public elementary schools	70.8%	112	39.0	61.0	43.0	36.0	62.0	52.0	42.0	34.0	26.0	29.0	26.0	42.0
Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	22801 E Via Del Jardin	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Queen Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 474-6900	1,114	53	21.0	13.9%	774 (69.5%)	20 (1.8%)	249 (22.4%)	19 (1.7%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	45 (4.0%)	83.1	146^th of 904 public elementary schools	83.8%		89.2	130^th of 1245 public elementary schools	89.6%	16	63.0	65.0	60.0	57.0			74.0	58.0	66.0	55.0			$5,196	$213	$27	$453	$4,378	$578	$4,956
American Leadership Academy San Tan Valley K-6	Public, Charter	K-6	34696 N Village Ln	San Tan Valley	85142	Maricopa County	American Leadership Academy Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 420-2101	723			33.9%	394 (54.5%)	44 (6.1%)	211 (29.2%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (8.6%)	66.4	274^th of 904 public elementary schools	69.7%		68.8	348^th of 1245 public elementary schools	72.0%	74	49.0	61.0	47.0	71.0			61.0	52.0	35.0	45.0			$6,456	$502	$1,797	$2,802	$3,841	$315	$4,156
Skyline Ranch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1084 San Tan Hills Dr	San Tan Valley	85143	Pinal County	Florence Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 888-7520	584	42	14.0	48.8%	225 (38.5%)	38 (6.5%)	269 (46.1%)	5 (0.9%)	9 (1.5%)	9 (1.5%)	29 (5.0%)	17.8	737^th of 904 public elementary schools	18.5%		34.5	754^th of 1245 public elementary schools	39.4%	17	31.0	39.0	21.0	18.0	34.0	17.0	29.0	27.0		17.0	29.0	14.0	$8,461	$361	$529	$1,251	$6,691	$880	$7,571

Combs Traditional Academy

J O Combs Unified School District:

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Rank History for Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for all students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for Special Education students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for Female students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for Male students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for Asian students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for African American students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for Hispanic students at Combs Traditional Academy

Rank History for White students at Combs Traditional Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for Combs Traditional Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Combs Traditional Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Combs Traditional Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Combs Traditional Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Combs Traditional Academy

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Combs Traditional Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Combs Traditional Academy

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