Rivera Elementary

Summary:

Rivera Elementary is a public elementary school located in Tucson, Arizona, serving 440 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Sunnyside Unified District, which is ranked 269 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rivera Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Arizona elementary schools over the past several years, with a 0-1 star rating. This is similar to the low rankings and ratings of nearby schools like Esperanza Elementary, Drexel Elementary, and Los Amigos Elementary, indicating broader challenges within the Sunnyside Unified District. Rivera Elementary's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics, is significantly below the state and district averages, with the school consistently ranking in the bottom 10-20% of Arizona elementary schools for student subgroups.

Despite fluctuations in spending and student-teacher ratios, Rivera Elementary's persistent underperformance suggests deeper systemic challenges within the district. The school has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 44% to 89% over the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by the diverse student population at Rivera Elementary and other schools in the district should be a priority for the district's leadership.

Detail:

Public K-6

5102 S Cherry Ave
Tucson, AZ 85706-1451

(520) 545-3900

District: Sunnyside Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
879^th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,065

Students who attend Rivera Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Apollo Middle School
High:	Sunnyside High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.7

Number of students: 440

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.0%

White:

2.0%

American Indian:

1.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Rivera Elementary ranks worse than 97.2% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks 6^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Sunnyside Unified District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.74. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (95%), White (2%), American Indian (1.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 88.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rivera Elementary is 17.7, which is the 5^th best among 7 elementary schools in the Sunnyside Unified District. (See more...)

Compare Rivera Elementary employs 24.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rivera Elementary is $8,065, which is the 5^th highest among 7 elementary schools in the Sunnyside Unified District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Rivera Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Sunnyside Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunnyside Unified District 269^th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rivera Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2009	17.10	960^th	1062	9.6%
2010	15.43	1004^th	1090	7.9%
2011	22.70	897^th	1075	16.6%
2012	32.45	852^nd	1141	25.3%
2013	32.38	870^th	1158	24.9%
2014	17.53	954^th	1079	11.6%
2015	13.29	876^th	955	8.3%
2016	19.91	887^th	1079	17.8%
2017	23.12	849^th	1106	23.2%
2018	27.47	782^nd	1109	29.5%
2019	18.98	847^th	1039	18.5%
2021	14.37	1130^th	1226	7.8%
2022	12.34	897^th	1000	10.3%
2023	16.09	1085^th	1245	12.9%
2024	8.74	879^th	904	2.8%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	34.77	689^th	1027	32.9%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	51.77	46^th	155	70.3%
2021	45.93	313^th	975	67.9%
2023	17.48	423^rd	451	6.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.57	351^st	417	15.8%
2021	38.89	664^th	1201	44.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	38.77	497^th	820	39.4%
2023	21.66	946^th	1116	15.2%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	43.22	190^th	423	55.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	26.91	742^nd	1023	27.5%
2019	17.16	732^nd	862	15.1%
2021	16.11	1111^th	1219	8.9%
2023	17.79	1043^rd	1219	14.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	32.98	660^th	1032	36.0%
2019	16.37	726^th	850	14.6%
2021	15.08	1129^th	1220	7.5%
2023	14.20	1114^th	1216	8.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	38.59	542^nd	911	40.5%
2019	22.55	576^th	709	18.8%
2021	18.31	1105^th	1198	7.8%
2022	15.19	652^nd	716	8.9%
2023	19.75	1005^th	1170	14.1%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	27.96	602^nd	654	8.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Rivera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	21.85	1009^th	1161	13.1%

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

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Enrollment information for Rivera Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	19	11	0	522	13	n/a	n/a	565
2009	15	11	0	537	13	n/a	n/a	576
2010	16	8	0	532	12	n/a	n/a	568
2011	26	6	1	608	12	1	1	655
2012	34	12	2	596	18	1	7	670
2013	27	13	2	613	21	3	2	681
2014	27	16	2	586	16	4	5	656
2015	16	9	2	592	12	3	4	638
2016	27	6	2	545	9	2	3	594
2017	17	5	4	531	12	0	3	572
2018	25	6	5	504	5	1	0	546
2019	9	5	2	511	6	1	3	537
2020	40	6	2	433	8	1	8	498
2021	14	2	3	440	8	0	6	473
2022	10	2	4	415	6	0	8	445
2023	9	0	3	418	7	0	3	440

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 Rivera Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	565	34.5	16.4	71
2009	576	36.0	16.0	92.9
2010	568	36.0	15.7	82.9
2011	655	37.4	17.5	82.7
2012	670	41.4	16.1	4
2013	681	40.4	16.8	4.8
2014	656	38.0	17.2	84.5
2015	638	31.0	20.5	88.6
2016	594	31.0	19.1	0.5
2017	572	30.0	19.0	91.4
2018	546	27.8	19.5	89.7
2019	537	27.1	19.8	91.8
2020	498	30.6	16.2	91.8
2021	473	28.4	16.6	n/a
2022	445	25.8	17.2	44
2023	440	24.8	17.7	88.9

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 Rivera Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	565	34.5	16.4	71
2009	576	36.0	16.0	92.9
2010	568	36.0	15.7	82.9
2011	655	37.4	17.5	82.7
2012	670	41.4	16.1	4
2013	681	40.4	16.8	4.8
2014	656	38.0	17.2	84.5
2015	638	31.0	20.5	88.6
2016	594	31.0	19.1	0.5
2017	572	30.0	19.0	91.4
2018	546	27.8	19.5	89.7
2019	537	27.1	19.8	91.8
2020	498	30.6	16.2	91.8
2021	473	28.4	16.6	n/a
2022	445	25.8	17.2	44
2023	440	24.8	17.7	88.9

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 Rivera Elementary

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	$1,146 (12.7%)	$96 (1.1%)	$2,388 (26.4%)	$5,763 (63.7%)	$2,046 (22.6%)	$7,809 (86.3%)	$9,052
2020	$2,361 (17.6%)	$126 (0.9%)	$4,848 (36.2%)	$10,185 (76.0%)	$733 (5.5%)	$10,918 (81.4%)	$13,405
2021	$964 (14.0%)	$30 (0.4%)	$1,958 (28.4%)	$5,392 (78.1%)	$518 (7.5%)	$5,910 (85.6%)	$6,904
2022	$1,161 (14.4%)	$25 (0.3%)	$2,348 (29.1%)	$6,313 (78.3%)	$566 (7.0%)	$6,878 (85.3%)	$8,065

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rivera Elementary

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 847^th of 1039 Elementary schools	Ranks 1085^th of 1245 Elementary schools	5.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	537	440	18.1%
African American	5	0	100%
American Indian	6	7	16.7%
Asian	2	3	50%
Hispanic	511	418	18.2%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	9	9
Two or More Races	3	3
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.8%	88.9%	2.9%

Schools Near Rivera 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 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
Rivera Elementary	Public	K-6	5102 S Cherry Ave	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3900	440	25	17.7	88.9%	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	418 (95.0%)	3 (0.7%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	8.7	879^th of 904 public elementary schools	2.8%		16.1	1085^th of 1245 public elementary schools	12.9%	206		24.0	15.0	21.0									$8,065	$1,161	$25	$2,348	$6,313	$566	$6,879
Esperanza Elementary School	Public	K-6	2353 E Bantam Rd	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-2900	494	26	19.0	85.8%	18 (3.6%)	9 (1.8%)	445 (90.1%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	13 (2.6%)	14	799^th of 904 public elementary schools	11.6%		17.5	1061^st of 1245 public elementary schools	14.8%	262		31.0	20.0	28.0				18.0					$7,921	$725	$00	$1,451	$6,808	$387	$7,195
Ocotillo Early Learning Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	5702 S Campbell Ave	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3600	378	27	13.8	81.7%	19 (5.0%)	15 (4.0%)	340 (89.9%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$19,785	$1,733		$3,466	$17,130	$921	$18,051
Drexel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	801 E Drexel Rd	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-2700	487	25	19.8	92.8%	10 (2.1%)	23 (4.7%)	438 (89.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)								(n/a)				18.0									$7,085	$934	$01	$1,870	$5,549	$600	$6,150
Los Amigos Elementary School	Public	K-6	2200 E Drexel Rd	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3200	621	35	17.7	85.8%	21 (3.4%)	10 (1.6%)	583 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.0%)	14.8	781^st of 904 public elementary schools	13.6%		22.4	955^th of 1245 public elementary schools	23.3%	174	28.0	34.0	19.0	19.0			32.0	17.0	21.0				$7,607	$769	$04	$1,543	$6,481	$352	$6,833
Van Buskirk Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	725 E Fair St	Tucson	85714	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-3700	275	24	11.6	83.6%	9 (3.3%)	1 (0.4%)	261 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	31.7	555^th of 904 public elementary schools	38.6%		37.5	713^th of 1245 public elementary schools	42.7%	158		35.0	37.0						33.0					$00			$00
Liberty Elementary School	Public	K-6	5495 S Liberty Ave	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-3100	511	29	17.9	82.8%	6 (1.2%)	3 (0.6%)	472 (92.4%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	17	748^th of 904 public elementary schools	17.3%		21.2	976^th of 1245 public elementary schools	21.6%	228		19.0	29.0	31.0									$7,429	$846	$07	$1,698	$6,164	$412	$6,576
La Paloma Academy-South	Public, Charter	K-8	5660 S 12th Ave	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Arizona Community Development Corporation	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 807-9668	487			80.7%	29 (6.0%)	5 (1.0%)	449 (92.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	20.0						25.0							$00			$00
Hollinger K-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	150 W Ajo Way	Tucson	85713	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-1700	687	35	19.5	77.9%	32 (4.7%)	8 (1.2%)	633 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13.2	811^th of 904 public elementary schools	10.3%		30.2	819^th of 1245 public elementary schools	34.2%	8		23.0	24.0			30.0	28.0	18.0	23.0					$00			$00
C E Rose Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	710 W Michigan St	Tucson	85714	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 908-4400	781	41	19.1	78.9%	13 (1.7%)	5 (0.6%)	742 (95.0%)	3 (0.4%)	14 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	17.5	742^nd of 904 public elementary schools	17.9%		24.5	917^th of 1245 public elementary schools	26.3%	175		32.0	28.0	33.0	28.0	25.0	19.0	24.0	25.0	19.0	21.0	24.0		$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Rivera Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Rivera Elementary?

Students at Rivera Elementary are 95% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% American Indian.

Is Rivera Elementary a good school?

Rivera Elementary ranks in the bottom 2.8% of Arizona elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Rivera Elementary attend?

Students who attend Rivera Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Apollo Middle School
High : Sunnyside High School

How many students attend Rivera Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 440 students attended Rivera Elementary.

What district is Rivera Elementary in?

Sunnyside Unified District

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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.