Pistor Middle School

Summary:

Pistor Middle School is a public middle school in Tucson, Arizona, serving 724 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Tucson Unified District, which is ranked 207 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pistor Middle School consistently ranks among the lowest-performing middle schools in Arizona, with statewide rankings ranging from 532 out of 533 schools in 2023-2024 to 380 out of 521 schools in 2014-2015. The school's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on state assessments, is significantly below the Tucson Unified District and Arizona state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Pistor Middle School has also experienced a concerning increase in dropout rates, from 0.4% in 2019-2020 to 11.0% in 2021-2022, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school serves a high-need population, with 73.76% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

When compared to other middle schools in the Tucson area, such as Wakefield Middle School and Paulo Freire Freedom School - Downtown, which serve similar student populations, Pistor Middle School consistently underperforms. These nearby schools demonstrate significantly higher academic achievement and better outcomes for their students.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 5455 S Cardinal Ave
       Tucson, AZ  85746-2168


(520) 908-5400

District: Tucson Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
532nd of 533 Arizona Middle Schools


Students who attend Pistor Middle School usually attend:

High:    Pueblo High School
    University High School
Alternative:    Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Feeder schools for Pistor Middle School:

Elementary:    Frances J Warren Elementary School
    John E White Elementary School
    Miller Elementary School
    Raul Grijalva Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.1 Help
Number of students:  724

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
81.8%
American Indian:
8.3%
White:
5.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  73.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Pistor Middle School ranks worse than 99.8% of middle schools in Arizona. It also ranks last among 11 ranked middle schools in the Tucson Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.22. (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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (81.8%), American Indian (8.3%), White (5.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 73.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pistor Middle School is 16.1. 9 middle schools in the Tucson Unified District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Pistor Middle School employs 44.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pistor Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pistor Middle School 532nd of 533 Arizona public middle schools. (See Pistor Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Hispanic students:


Tucson Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tucson Unified District 207th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Pistor Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 35.86 440th 663 33.6%
2010 34.19 476th 692 31.2%
2011 29.40 509th 685 25.7%
2012 36.56 526th 772 31.9%
2013 37.95 515th 787 34.6%
2014 38.30 423rd 690 38.7%
2015 25.81 380th 521 27.1%
2016 28.08 470th 677 30.6%
2017 16.45 612th 695 11.9%
2018 16.42 605th 711 14.9%
2019 10.11 573rd 605 5.3%
2021 18.96 718th 832 13.7%
2022 9.76 576th 605 4.8%
2023 13.22 800th 854 6.3%
2024 6.22 532nd 533 0.2%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pistor Middle School

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 48.37 287th 789 63.6%
2023 18.19 333rd 363 8.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 10.32 362nd 369 1.9%
2023 12.30 702nd 717 2.1%
2024 5.60 314th 314 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 61.86 37th 257 85.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.37 560th 624 10.3%
2019 8.26 443rd 466 4.9%
2021 20.39 694th 820 15.4%
2022 6.40 486th 494 1.6%
2023 11.86 773rd 806 4.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.40 515th 617 16.5%
2019 6.94 423rd 435 2.8%
2021 20.43 685th 818 16.3%
2022 8.11 461st 476 3.2%
2023 13.31 761st 810 6.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 15.60 362nd 404 10.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 32.05 400th 573 30.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.77 445th 543 18.0%
2019 13.56 365th 387 5.7%
2021 25.60 645th 802 19.6%
2022 12.92 373rd 392 4.8%
2023 14.99 711th 760 6.4%
2024 6.68 321st 322 0.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.02 27th 62 56.5%
2021 36.88 238th 390 39.0%
2023 16.36 129th 159 18.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Pistor Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 8.45 420th 436 3.7%
2021 30.26 585th 780 25.0%
2023 10.80 647th 675 4.1%
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.

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





Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Open Quote My son is in the all day contained gate program and he has amazing teachers who show concern for his understanding of the materials. The school is lacking in extra curricular activities but with the lack of funding that is being seen everywhere. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Pistor Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 302 23 7 327 69 n/a n/a -222 506
1989 230 17 5 271 40 n/a n/a -204 359
1990 171 9 9 203 6 n/a n/a 98 496
1991 209 18 10 270 13 n/a n/a 50 570
1992 251 22 5 335 8 n/a n/a 0 621
1993 265 27 10 397 24 n/a n/a 0 723
1994 333 39 15 575 30 n/a n/a 0 992
1995 279 30 12 531 33 n/a n/a 0 885
1996 279 30 12 531 33 n/a n/a 0 885
1997 257 36 13 599 48 n/a n/a 0 953
1998 231 46 11 646 48 n/a n/a 0 982
1999 224 44 9 640 28 n/a n/a 0 945
2000 202 45 9 634 38 n/a n/a 0 928
2001 175 48 13 688 39 n/a n/a 0 963
2002 159 44 10 871 40 n/a n/a 0 1124
2003 159 44 10 871 40 n/a n/a 0 1124
2004 156 49 6 853 53 n/a n/a 0 1117
2005 131 48 8 876 52 n/a n/a 0 1115
2006 118 34 10 913 47 n/a n/a 0 1122
2007 114 26 14 899 39 n/a n/a 0 1092
2008 101 27 14 887 43 n/a n/a 0 1072
2009 97 30 13 817 42 n/a n/a 0 999
2010 97 28 7 869 37 n/a n/a 0 1038
2011 77 18 5 938 52 3 10 0 1103
2012 61 19 5 894 42 4 10 0 1035
2013 60 19 3 877 56 3 13 0 1031
2014 66 15 1 808 46 3 17 0 956
2015 63 12 1 785 52 2 14 0 929
2016 56 12 2 753 67 2 18 0 910
2017 50 11 5 796 55 3 10 0 930
2018 55 13 4 713 42 1 13 0 841
2019 56 11 4 661 45 1 8 0 786
2020 55 11 5 728 60 1 10 0 870
2021 51 16 7 738 69 4 7 0 892
2022 43 17 7 722 74 2 15 0 880
2023 37 13 4 592 60 3 15 0 724

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 Pistor Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 506 35.0 14.4 n/a
1989 359 15.4 23.3 n/a
1990 496 20.0 24.8 n/a
1991 570 30.6 18.6 n/a
1992 621 33.0 18.8 n/a
1993 723 43.0 16.8 n/a
1994 992 47.0 21.1 n/a
1995 885 52.0 17.0 n/a
1996 885 52.0 17.0 n/a
1997 953 52.0 18.3 n/a
1998 982 58.0 16.9 n/a
1999 945 52.0 18.2 n/a
2000 928 51.0 18.2 n/a
2001 963 52.0 18.5 n/a
2002 1124 53.5 21.0 n/a
2003 1124 53.5 21.0 n/a
2004 1117 52.0 21.5 67.1
2005 1115 51.0 21.9 66.2
2006 1122 63.0 17.8 61.1
2007 1092 62.0 17.6 47.9
2008 1072 63.0 17.0 1.7
2009 999 57.0 17.5 59.8
2010 1038 55.0 18.8 58.7
2011 1103 52.6 20.9 69.1
2012 1035 58.0 17.8 67.8
2013 1031 47.0 21.9 72.7
2014 956 44.0 21.7 78
2015 929 44.0 21.1 76.7
2016 910 45.0 20.2 n/a
2017 930 43.6 21.3 80.3
2018 841 46.0 18.2 75.9
2019 786 45.2 17.3 71
2020 870 47.8 18.1 73.9
2021 892 53.1 16.7 n/a
2022 880 58.9 14.9 73.9
2023 724 44.7 16.1 73.8

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 Pistor Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 506 35.0 14.4 n/a
1989 359 15.4 23.3 n/a
1990 496 20.0 24.8 n/a
1991 570 30.6 18.6 n/a
1992 621 33.0 18.8 n/a
1993 723 43.0 16.8 n/a
1994 992 47.0 21.1 n/a
1995 885 52.0 17.0 n/a
1996 885 52.0 17.0 n/a
1997 953 52.0 18.3 n/a
1998 982 58.0 16.9 n/a
1999 945 52.0 18.2 n/a
2000 928 51.0 18.2 n/a
2001 963 52.0 18.5 n/a
2002 1124 53.5 21.0 n/a
2003 1124 53.5 21.0 n/a
2004 1117 52.0 21.5 67.1
2005 1115 51.0 21.9 66.2
2006 1122 63.0 17.8 61.1
2007 1092 62.0 17.6 47.9
2008 1072 63.0 17.0 1.7
2009 999 57.0 17.5 59.8
2010 1038 55.0 18.8 58.7
2011 1103 52.6 20.9 69.1
2012 1035 58.0 17.8 67.8
2013 1031 47.0 21.9 72.7
2014 956 44.0 21.7 78
2015 929 44.0 21.1 76.7
2016 910 45.0 20.2 n/a
2017 930 43.6 21.3 80.3
2018 841 46.0 18.2 75.9
2019 786 45.2 17.3 71
2020 870 47.8 18.1 73.9
2021 892 53.1 16.7 n/a
2022 880 58.9 14.9 73.9
2023 724 44.7 16.1 73.8

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 Pistor Middle School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $921 (10.4%) $130 (1.5%) $1,973 (22.3%) $6,753 (76.2%) $1,061 (12.0%) $7,814 (88.1%) $8,865
2020 $511 (8.9%) $85 (1.5%) $1,107 (19.3%) $4,640 (81.0%) $491 (8.6%) $5,131 (89.6%) $5,727

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Pistor 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 573rd of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 800th of 854 Middle schools
 1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students786724
 7.9%
African American1113
 18.2%
American Indian4560
 33.3%
Asian44
Hispanic661592
 10.4%
Pacific Islander13
 200%
White5637
 33.9%
Two or More Races815
 87.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients71%73.8%
 2.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Pistor Middle School

Students at Pistor Middle School are 82% Hispanic, 8% American Indian, 5% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Pistor Middle School ranks in the bottom 0.2% of Arizona middle schools.

Students who attend Pistor Middle School usually go on to attend Pueblo High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 724 students attended Pistor Middle 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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