Mountainside High School

Q: Is Mountainside High School a good school?

Mountainside High School ranks 181 st of 270 Arizona high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Mountainside High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Wittmann, Arizona, as part of the Nadaburg Unified School District. The school has seen a significant shift in its racial demographics, with the percentage of White students decreasing from 66.67% in 2020-2021 to 41.26% in 2022-2023, while the percentage of Hispanic students has increased from 29.63% to 52.02% during the same period.

Academically, Mountainside High School has consistently underperformed compared to the state average in standardized test scores. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 29% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and only 21% were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 38% and 30%, respectively. The school's science proficiency rate for 11th-grade students in 2022-2023 was also significantly lower than the state average (17% vs. 22%). Additionally, Mountainside High School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, with 35.43% of students qualifying in the 2022-2023 school year.

However, the school has seen a significant improvement in its student-teacher ratio, decreasing from 27 students per teacher in 2020-2021 to 11.7 students per teacher in 2022-2023. This is a positive indicator, as smaller class sizes can often lead to more personalized attention and support for students. In comparison, Paradise Honors High School, a public charter school located 13.56 miles away, had 56% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 45% in Mathematics in 2023-2024, far exceeding Mountainside High School's performance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

32919 N Center St
Wittmann, AZ 85361-9433

(623) 388-2915

District: Nadaburg Unified School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
181^st of 270 Arizona High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,931

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 304

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.7%

White:

45.4%

African American:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Mountainside High School ranks worse than 67% of high schools in Arizona. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.86. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (46.7%), White (45.4%), African American (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mountainside High School is $8,931.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mountainside High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Mountainside High School 181^st of 270 Arizona public high schools. (See Mountainside High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Nadaburg Unified School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Nadaburg Unified School District 206^th of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Mountainside High School.

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Rank History for Mountainside High School

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Rank History for all students at Mountainside High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	27.86	181^st	270	33.0%

See the entire list of Arizona High School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at Mountainside High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	23.67	146^th	184	20.7%

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.

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a student
Wednesday, August 17, 2022

It's terrible. Vice principal is a Karen. If you enjoy jokes and Cards Against Humanity, she will yell at you and say it's offensive and not school appropriate. This is high school. Get over it. Not everything is about you. Try not to be a snowflake. Nobody likes a snowflake. Just because a group of 4 high school students are playing a game you don't like, doesn't mean you have to be rude about it. Principal walked past multiple times before and never said a word. Vice principal walks up and yells at us to put it away. When we started to argue, she got the school counselor (an amazing guy, by the way. One of the only good people in this school) to help her and threatened to take the box away. If you enjoy your freedom (or at least what little you have at high school age), don't come here. Go to Wickenburg or Surprise. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, July 9, 2022

Excellent school and caring staff. Small, but effective. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Mountainside High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2021	18	0	0	8	1	0	0	27
2022	74	0	0	53	1	2	1	131
2023	92	4	1	116	1	3	6	223
2024	138	10	2	142	1	4	7	304

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 Mountainside High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	27	1.0	27.0	n/a
2022	131	6.5	20.1	20.6
2023	223	19.0	11.7	35.4
2024	304	n/a	n/a	n/a

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 Mountainside High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	27	1.0	27.0	n/a
2022	131	6.5	20.1	20.6
2023	223	19.0	11.7	35.4
2024	304	n/a	n/a	n/a

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 Mountainside High 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)
2021	$00 (0.0%)	$19 (0.1%)	$19 (0.1%)	$8,179 (45.8%)	$9,644 (54.1%)	$17,823 (99.9%)	$17,842
2022	$321 (3.6%)	$363 (4.1%)	$1,005 (11.3%)	$6,044 (67.7%)	$2,203 (24.7%)	$8,247 (92.3%)	$8,931

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Schools Near Mountainside High 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 11th Grade	AASA Mathematics 11th Grade	AzSCI Science 11th 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
Mountainside High School	Public	9-12	32919 N Center St	Wittmann	85361	Maricopa County	Nadaburg Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 388-2915	304	19	11.7		138 (45.4%)	10 (3.3%)	142 (46.7%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	7 (2.3%)	27.9	181^st of 270 public high schools	33.0%					(n/a)	29.0	21.0	21.0	$8,931	$321	$363	$1,005	$6,044	$2,203	$8,247
Nadaburg Online Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	7-12	32919 N Center St	Wittmann	85361	Maricopa County	Nadaburg Unified School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(623) 388-2115	6				2 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					$00			$00
Willow Canyon High School	Public	7-12	17901 W Lundberg St	Surprise	85388	Maricopa County	Dysart Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 523-8000	1,819	78	23.2		867 (47.7%)	135 (7.4%)	620 (34.1%)	39 (2.1%)	23 (1.3%)	13 (0.7%)	122 (6.7%)	49.4	119^th of 270 public high schools	55.9%		60.7	154^th of 469 public high schools	67.2%	35	47.0	38.0	22.0	$9,902	$234	$875	$1,344	$7,392	$1,401	$8,793
West-MEC - Willow Canyon High School	Public	9-12	17901 W Lundberg St	Surprise	85388	Maricopa County	West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 523-8000	14				11 (78.6%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)								(n/a)					$00			$00
ThrivePoint High School at Surprise	Public, Charter	9-12	16578 W Greenway Rd Ste 204 Bl	Surprise	85388	Maricopa County	ThrivePoint High School Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 870-2000	249				112 (45.0%)	16 (6.4%)	108 (43.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.6%)								(n/a)				$2,579	$00			$1,355	$1,224	$2,579
West-MEC - Valley Vista High School	Public	9-12	15550 N Parkview Pl	Surprise	85374	Maricopa County	West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 523-8800	22				14 (63.6%)	5 (22.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.5%)	2 (9.1%)								(n/a)					$00			$00
Dysart iSchool	Public, Virtual	7-12	15802 N Parkview Pl	Surprise	85374	Maricopa County	Dysart Unified District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(623) 876-7872	0	13	8.1		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)				$12,322	$134	$820	$1,088	$8,913	$2,455	$11,368
Valley Vista High School	Public	7-12	15550 N Parkview Pl	Surprise	85374	Maricopa County	Dysart Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 523-8800	2,443	103	23.7		796 (32.6%)	228 (9.3%)	1,171 (47.9%)	41 (1.7%)	27 (1.1%)	9 (0.4%)	171 (7.0%)	41.8	141^st of 270 public high schools	47.8%		55.6	172^nd of 469 public high schools	63.3%	31	40.0	33.0	22.0	$8,069	$243	$877	$1,362	$5,849	$1,100	$6,949
Imagine Prep Surprise	Public, Charter	9-12	14850 N 156th Ave	Surprise	85379	Maricopa County	Imagine Prep Surprise Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 344-1770	267				134 (50.2%)	20 (7.5%)	90 (33.7%)	5 (1.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.4%)	34.2	165^th of 270 public high schools	38.9%		53.8	178^th of 469 public high schools	62.0%	13	31.0	27.0	24.0		$00			$00
Paradise Honors High School	Public, Charter	9-12	12775 N 175th Ave	Surprise	85388	Maricopa County	Paragon Management Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 455-7400	985				617 (62.6%)	48 (4.9%)	214 (21.7%)	32 (3.2%)	7 (0.7%)	5 (0.5%)	62 (6.3%)	66.5	75^th of 270 public high schools	72.2%		75.9	91^st of 469 public high schools	80.6%	16	56.0	45.0	33.0	$9,204	$305	$639	$1,250	$6,442	$1,818	$8,259

Frequently Asked Questions about Mountainside High School

How many students attend Mountainside High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 304 students attended Mountainside High School.

What district is Mountainside High School in?

Nadaburg Unified School District

Is Mountainside High School a good school?

Mountainside High School ranks 181^st of 270 Arizona high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Mountainside High School?

Students at Mountainside High School are 47% Hispanic, 45% White, 3% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander.

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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.