Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Summary:

Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary is a public elementary school in Queen Creek, Arizona, serving 703 students from pre-kindergarten to 6th grade. The school is part of the Queen Creek Unified District, which is ranked 92 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Arizona, performing significantly better than the state and district averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 78% of 3rd graders, 76% of 4th graders, 69% of 5th graders, and 76% of 6th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 39%, 46%, 38%, and 43%, respectively. The school's performance is also noteworthy for its special education and military-connected students, who rank among the top in the state.

When compared to nearby schools, Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary stands out as a high-performing institution. It outperforms other schools in the Queen Creek Unified District, as well as nearby charter schools, in academic achievement, particularly in Mathematics. The school also has a lower percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds compared to the nearby district schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

19684 S. 225th Pl
Queen Creek, AZ 85142

(480) 987-7490

District: Queen Creek Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
43^rd of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,694

Students who attend Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary usually attend:

High:

Eastmark High School

Student/teacher ratio: 22.3

Number of students: 703

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.7%

Hispanic:

16.2%

African American:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 7%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary ranks better than 95.2% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks first among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Queen Creek Unified District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.42. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.7%), Hispanic (16.2%), African American (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Queen Creek Unified District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary is 22.3, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the Queen Creek Unified District! (See more...)

Compare Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary employs 31.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary is $6,694. 4 elementary schools in the Queen Creek Unified District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary 43^rd of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Queen Creek Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Queen Creek Unified District 92^nd of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	98.45	9^th	1226	99.3%
2022	93.72	27^th	1000	97.3%
2023	95.71	38^th	1245	96.9%
2024	94.42	43^rd	904	95.2%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	79.70	96^th	1027	90.7%
2023	51.61	276^th	617	55.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	87.49	36^th	1201	97.0%
2022	89.17	10^th	145	93.1%
2023	94.28	16^th	820	98.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	85.81	51^st	618	91.7%
2023	98.19	6^th	1116	99.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	97.92	5^th	1219	99.6%
2022	91.85	27^th	824	96.7%
2023	92.04	61^st	1219	95.0%
2024	85.98	49^th	593	91.7%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	91.97	1^st	239	99.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	97.31	16^th	1220	98.7%
2022	91.31	27^th	830	96.7%
2023	95.72	30^th	1216	97.5%
2024	92.50	29^th	609	95.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	72.54	117^th	607	80.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	94.28	30^th	1198	97.5%
2022	85.25	67^th	716	90.6%
2023	86.71	92^nd	1170	92.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	94.75	7^th	1161	99.4%
2022	89.39	29^th	800	96.4%
2023	91.63	25^th	1024	97.6%
2024	87.09	26^th	477	94.5%

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

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary, submit a rating!

No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2021	218	3	1	40	0	0	7	269
2022	387	15	5	64	3	0	12	486
2023	518	25	13	114	4	4	25	703

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 Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	269	15.2	17.6	n/a
2022	486	24.1	20.1	3.3
2023	703	31.4	22.3	7

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 Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	269	15.2	17.6	n/a
2022	486	24.1	20.1	3.3
2023	703	31.4	22.3	7

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 Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2021	$04 (0.0%)	$15,504 (100.0%)	$15,507
2022	$299 (4.5%)	$6,545 (97.8%)	$6,694

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Schools Near Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th 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
Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	19684 S. 225th Pl	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Queen Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 987-7490	703	31	22.3	7.0%	518 (73.7%)	25 (3.6%)	114 (16.2%)	13 (1.8%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	25 (3.6%)	94.4	43^rd of 904 public elementary schools	95.2%		95.7	38^th of 1245 public elementary schools	96.9%	5	78.0	76.0	69.0	76.0	79.0	64.0	80.0	75.0	$6,694	$149		$299	$5,630	$915	$6,545
Benjamin Franklin Charter School - Crismon	Public, Charter	K-6	22120 E Queen Creek Rd	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Benjamin Franklin Charter School - Queen Creek	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 987-0722	764				563 (73.7%)	12 (1.6%)	129 (16.9%)	8 (1.0%)	7 (0.9%)	4 (0.5%)	41 (5.4%)	56.6	351^st of 904 public elementary schools	61.2%		77.9	255^th of 1245 public elementary schools	79.5%	96	48.0	56.0	41.0	72.0	61.0	38.0	31.0	36.0	$5,816	$326	$166	$818	$4,401	$923	$5,324
Jack Barnes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	20750 S 214th St	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Queen Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 987-7400	617	36	17.2	13.8%	368 (59.6%)	25 (4.1%)	164 (26.6%)	16 (2.6%)	5 (0.8%)	5 (0.8%)	34 (5.5%)	55.4	362^nd of 904 public elementary schools	60.0%		65.7	384^th of 1245 public elementary schools	69.2%	22	51.0	53.0	33.0	54.0	52.0	47.0	29.0	53.0	$7,101	$242		$485	$6,219	$639	$6,858
American Leadership Academy Signal Butte K-6	Public, Charter	K-6	Apn 304-64-878	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	American Leadership Academy Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 420-2101	428			30.8%	269 (62.9%)	13 (3.0%)	115 (26.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.5%)	24 (5.6%)	47.7	421^st of 904 public elementary schools	53.4%		56.3	473^rd of 1245 public elementary schools	62.0%	52	45.0	49.0	48.0	44.0	44.0	20.0	56.0	32.0	$10,587	$677	$1,955	$3,308	$6,093	$1,862	$7,955
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
Happy Valley School East Campus	Public, Charter	K-6	266 E Westbrooke Rd	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	Happy Valley East	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 888-1342	447			49.7%	227 (50.8%)	59 (13.2%)	144 (32.2%)	11 (2.5%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	34.6	529^th of 904 public elementary schools	41.5%		51.8	524^th of 1245 public elementary schools	57.9%	5	49.0	43.0	29.0	34.0	40.0	27.0				$00			$00
Frances Brandon-Pickett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	22706 East Village Loop Rd	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Queen Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 987-7420	624	35	18.0	23.9%	394 (63.1%)	12 (1.9%)	177 (28.4%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	32 (5.1%)	74.1	213^th of 904 public elementary schools	76.4%		85	181^st of 1245 public elementary schools	85.5%	32	51.0	68.0	46.0	60.0	63.0	66.0	47.0	53.0	$7,003	$355	$10	$720	$5,782	$855	$6,638
Cambridge Academy East	Public, Charter	K-8	20365 East Ocotillo Road	Queen Creek	85142	Maricopa County	Cambridge Academy East Inc	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 987-3577	86				51 (59.3%)	6 (7.0%)	24 (27.9%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)								(n/a)									$8,360	$570	$407	$1,548	$5,573	$1,809	$7,383
Ranch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	43521 N Kenworthy Rd	San Tan Valley	85140	Pinal County	J O Combs Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 882-3530	546	23	23.5	39.9%	290 (53.1%)	17 (3.1%)	188 (34.4%)	4 (0.7%)	17 (3.1%)	5 (0.9%)	25 (4.6%)	31	563^rd of 904 public elementary schools	37.7%		47.5	579^th of 1245 public elementary schools	53.5%	16	22.0	57.0	31.0	32.0	23.0	38.0	31.0	34.0	$7,647	$134	$45	$313	$6,852	$617	$7,468
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary?

Students at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary are 74% White, 16% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary attend?

Students who attend Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Eastmark High School

What district is Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary in?

Queen Creek Unified District

How many students attend Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 703 students attended Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary.

Is Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary a good school?

Yes! Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 43^rd of 904 Arizona elementary schools.

Rate Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AZArizona Elementary School Rankings

AZArizona District Rankings

Schools in Queen Creek, AZ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary!

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.