Western Sky Middle School

Summary:

Western Sky Middle School is a public middle school located in Goodyear, Arizona, serving grades 5-8 with a student population of 954. The school is part of the Litchfield Elementary District, which is ranked 110 out of 288 districts in Arizona and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Western Sky Middle School consistently performs above the state and district averages in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, 52% of 6th graders, 58% of 7th graders, and 47% of 8th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 43%, 41%, and 35%, respectively. In Mathematics, 46% of 6th graders, 39% of 7th graders, and 38% of 8th graders were proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 30%, 30%, and 28%. The school's performance in Science is also noteworthy, with 38% of 8th graders proficient or better in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the state average of 27%. Western Sky Middle School has consistently ranked in the top 25% of Arizona middle schools, with a ranking as high as 85th out of 695 schools in the 2016-2017 school year. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school ranked 160th out of 533 Arizona middle schools, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools in the Litchfield Elementary District, such as Verrado Middle School and L. Thomas Heck Middle School, Western Sky Middle School generally outperforms its peers in academic proficiency and statewide rankings. This suggests that Western Sky Middle School may have more effective teaching practices, curriculum, or other factors that contribute to its stronger academic performance. Additionally, Western Sky Middle School has consistently ranked highly (top 20%) among Arizona middle schools in the performance of its military-connected student population, indicating the school may have specialized programs or support systems in place to cater to the unique needs of students from military families.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 4095 N. 144th Ave.
       Goodyear, AZ  85338


(623) 535-6300

District: Litchfield Elementary District

SchoolDigger Rank:
160th of 533 Arizona Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,674 Help


Students who attend Western Sky Middle School usually attend:

High:    Millennium High School

Feeder schools for Western Sky Middle School:

Elementary:    Litchfield Elementary School
    Palm Valley Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  22.9 Help
Number of students:  954

Racial breakdown:

White:
42.8%
Hispanic:
39.2%
Two or more races:
6.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  21.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Western Sky Middle School ranks better than 70% of middle schools in Arizona. It also ranks 2nd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Litchfield Elementary District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.16. (See more...)
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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 Western Sky Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Litchfield Elementary District. Racial makeup is: White (42.8%), Hispanic (39.2%), two or more races (6.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 21.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Western Sky Middle School is 22.9, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Litchfield Elementary District! (See more...)
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Compare Western Sky Middle School employs 41.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Western Sky Middle School is $5,674, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Litchfield Elementary District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Western Sky Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Western Sky Middle School 160th of 533 Arizona public middle schools. (See Western Sky Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Litchfield Elementary District:

SchoolDigger ranks Litchfield Elementary District 110th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Western Sky Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 75.00 154th 663 76.8%
2010 75.96 146th 692 78.9%
2011 75.30 154th 685 77.5%
2012 77.60 141st 772 81.7%
2013 79.32 130th 787 83.5%
2014 81.69 119th 690 82.8%
2015 73.89 121st 521 76.8%
2016 77.73 123rd 677 81.8%
2017 84.25 85th 695 87.8%
2018 81.97 108th 711 84.8%
2019 80.28 100th 605 83.5%
2021 73.26 182nd 832 78.1%
2022 65.90 184th 605 69.6%
2023 78.34 139th 854 83.7%
2024 62.16 160th 533 70.0%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.37 18th 43 58.1%
2021 49.15 288th 650 55.7%
2022 70.99 45th 211 78.7%
2023 67.76 80th 384 79.2%
2024 45.34 13th 19 31.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 41.74 298th 606 50.8%
2023 29.93 86th 145 40.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.56 20th 178 88.8%
2021 50.06 261st 789 66.9%
2023 32.00 227th 363 37.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.28 88th 503 82.5%
2022 77.43 57th 369 84.6%
2023 60.88 196th 717 72.7%
2024 38.65 161st 314 48.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.56 93rd 624 85.1%
2019 77.72 83rd 466 82.2%
2021 72.65 184th 820 77.6%
2022 61.59 163rd 494 67.0%
2023 77.97 132nd 806 83.6%
2024 55.47 145th 379 61.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 60.02 39th 143 72.7%
2022 70.78 15th 68 77.9%
2023 69.13 17th 110 84.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.37 105th 617 83.0%
2019 70.68 111th 435 74.5%
2021 70.20 195th 818 76.2%
2022 57.29 187th 476 60.7%
2023 75.11 151st 810 81.4%
2024 48.66 166th 356 53.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.40 23rd 42 45.2%
2019 29.90 24th 31 22.6%
2021 65.23 127th 404 68.6%
2022 55.31 81st 192 57.8%
2023 71.16 56th 247 77.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.37 10th 125 92.0%
2019 93.19 1st 9 88.9%
2021 51.09 191st 573 66.7%
2023 46.58 191st 400 52.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.06 91st 543 83.2%
2019 76.45 72nd 387 81.4%
2021 63.24 195th 802 75.7%
2022 58.76 139th 392 64.5%
2023 68.26 170th 760 77.6%
2024 52.33 113th 322 64.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 51.40 101st 390 74.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 50.50 43rd 108 60.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Western Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.45 48th 436 89.0%
2019 70.73 78th 337 76.9%
2021 72.00 161st 780 79.4%
2022 63.50 132nd 446 70.4%
2023 79.68 82nd 675 87.9%
2024 57.94 103rd 273 62.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle 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.

Western Sky Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Western Sky Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 489 489
1993 395 20 10 78 1 n/a n/a 0 504
1994 395 22 11 72 0 n/a n/a 0 500
1995 483 28 8 87 0 n/a n/a 0 606
1996 483 28 8 87 0 n/a n/a 0 606
1997 570 40 16 133 0 n/a n/a 0 759
1998 426 30 17 121 0 n/a n/a 0 594
1999 480 37 16 141 4 n/a n/a 0 678
2000 738 63 28 238 9 n/a n/a 0 1076
2001 597 52 26 209 6 n/a n/a 0 890
2002 668 24 28 175 12 n/a n/a 0 907
2003 668 24 28 175 12 n/a n/a 0 907
2004 702 30 27 198 15 n/a n/a 0 972
2005 544 73 35 185 16 n/a n/a 0 853
2006 522 95 52 255 6 n/a n/a 0 930
2007 488 73 77 288 1 n/a n/a 0 927
2008 522 96 92 328 4 n/a n/a 0 1042
2009 508 75 86 289 9 n/a n/a 0 967
2010 464 69 77 269 5 n/a n/a 0 884
2011 471 62 65 294 8 3 7 0 910
2012 440 67 62 309 11 2 15 0 906
2013 436 67 52 291 13 3 18 0 880
2014 432 64 60 295 11 2 25 0 889
2015 484 78 71 317 10 4 30 0 994
2016 445 81 58 338 8 2 38 0 970
2017 478 91 59 318 8 4 47 0 1005
2018 470 75 55 336 7 3 48 0 994
2019 506 73 61 358 8 3 45 0 1054
2020 481 70 68 386 10 2 50 0 1067
2021 436 58 50 352 12 4 45 0 957
2022 420 60 45 359 10 6 39 0 939
2023 408 57 38 374 10 5 62 0 954

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 Western Sky Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 489 22.0 22.2 n/a
1993 504 23.6 21.4 n/a
1994 500 25.6 19.5 n/a
1995 606 30.6 19.8 n/a
1996 606 30.6 19.8 n/a
1997 759 36.1 21.0 n/a
1998 594 31.6 18.8 n/a
1999 678 33.6 20.2 n/a
2000 1076 50.1 21.5 n/a
2001 890 39.1 22.8 n/a
2002 907 43.5 20.9 14.9
2003 907 43.5 20.9 14.9
2004 972 43.5 22.3 17.2
2005 853 45.5 18.7 21.5
2006 930 45.3 20.5 25.3
2007 927 43.5 21.3 21.8
2008 1042 47.0 22.2 24.7
2009 967 49.0 19.7 28.1
2010 884 42.0 21.0 31
2011 910 35.0 26.0 0.3
2012 906 41.3 21.9 32.2
2013 880 39.0 22.5 33.4
2014 889 37.0 24.0 30.5
2015 994 42.0 23.6 27.5
2016 970 40.0 24.2 30.1
2017 1005 40.5 24.8 28.8
2018 994 41.5 23.9 24.8
2019 1054 41.5 25.3 23.9
2020 1067 43.0 24.8 21
2021 957 43.0 22.2 n/a
2022 939 40.5 23.1 7.8
2023 954 41.5 22.9 21.9

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 Western Sky Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 489 22.0 22.2 n/a
1993 504 23.6 21.4 n/a
1994 500 25.6 19.5 n/a
1995 606 30.6 19.8 n/a
1996 606 30.6 19.8 n/a
1997 759 36.1 21.0 n/a
1998 594 31.6 18.8 n/a
1999 678 33.6 20.2 n/a
2000 1076 50.1 21.5 n/a
2001 890 39.1 22.8 n/a
2002 907 43.5 20.9 14.9
2003 907 43.5 20.9 14.9
2004 972 43.5 22.3 17.2
2005 853 45.5 18.7 21.5
2006 930 45.3 20.5 25.3
2007 927 43.5 21.3 21.8
2008 1042 47.0 22.2 24.7
2009 967 49.0 19.7 28.1
2010 884 42.0 21.0 31
2011 910 35.0 26.0 0.3
2012 906 41.3 21.9 32.2
2013 880 39.0 22.5 33.4
2014 889 37.0 24.0 30.5
2015 994 42.0 23.6 27.5
2016 970 40.0 24.2 30.1
2017 1005 40.5 24.8 28.8
2018 994 41.5 23.9 24.8
2019 1054 41.5 25.3 23.9
2020 1067 43.0 24.8 21
2021 957 43.0 22.2 n/a
2022 939 40.5 23.1 7.8
2023 954 41.5 22.9 21.9

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 Western Sky Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $382 (5.9%) $6,249 (96.9%) $6,452
2020 $517 (8.0%) $6,095 (94.6%) $6,441
2021 $844 (14.5%) $5,311 (91.0%) $5,834
2022 $479 (8.4%) $5,434 (95.8%) $5,674

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Western Sky Middle 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 100th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 139th of 854 Middle schools
 0.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1054954
 9.5%
African American7357
 21.9%
American Indian810
 25%
Asian6138
 37.7%
Hispanic358374
 4.5%
Pacific Islander35
 66.7%
White506408
 19.4%
Two or More Races4562
 37.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients23.9%21.9%
 2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Western Sky Middle School

Western Sky Middle School ranks 160th of 533 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Western Sky Middle School are 43% White, 39% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 6% African American, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 954 students attended Western Sky Middle School.

Students who attend Western Sky Middle School usually go on to attend Millennium High 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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