Wheeler Elementary School

Summary:

Wheeler Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 416 students in grades PK-5 in the Tucson Unified District in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a diverse student population, with 50.48% Hispanic, 28.61% White, 9.86% African American, and smaller percentages of Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander students.

Academically, Wheeler Elementary School faces significant challenges. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 29% of 3rd graders, 43% of 4th graders, and 34% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district averages of 28%, 35%, and 27%, respectively. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates were 35% for 3rd grade, 34% for 4th grade, and 31% for 5th grade, while the district averages were 33%, 26%, and 24%. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Arizona elementary schools, with a ranking between 574 and 708 out of 904 to 1,245 schools in the state over the past several years.

When comparing Wheeler Elementary School to nearby schools, such as Borman K-8 School, which is located just over a mile away, it becomes evident that Wheeler is underperforming. Borman K-8 School has significantly higher academic proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as a higher overall school ranking. The high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds at Wheeler Elementary School, with 72.84% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, may be a contributing factor to the school's academic challenges.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1818 S Avenida Del Sol
       Tucson, AZ  85710-5319


(520) 584-5500

District: Tucson Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
574th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools


Students who attend Wheeler Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Palo Verde High Magnet School
    University High School
Alternative:    Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Student/teacher ratio:  14.3 Help
Number of students:  416

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
50.5%
White:
28.6%
African American:
9.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  72.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Wheeler Elementary School ranks worse than 63.5% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks 20th among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Tucson Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.05. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (50.5%), White (28.6%), African American (9.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 72.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wheeler Elementary School is 14.3. 33 elementary schools in the Tucson Unified District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Wheeler Elementary School employs 28.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Wheeler Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Wheeler Elementary School 574th of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Wheeler Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:


Tucson Unified District:

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


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Rank History for Wheeler Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 79.51 201st 1062 81.1%
2010 65.84 375th 1090 65.6%
2011 65.36 372nd 1075 65.4%
2012 65.23 387th 1141 66.1%
2013 64.10 406th 1158 64.9%
2014 39.48 664th 1079 38.5%
2015 25.26 686th 955 28.2%
2016 15.98 943rd 1079 12.6%
2017 23.13 848th 1106 23.3%
2018 28.48 771st 1109 30.5%
2019 25.17 746th 1039 28.2%
2021 37.73 693rd 1226 43.5%
2022 25.51 682nd 1000 31.8%
2023 37.98 708th 1245 43.1%
2024 30.05 574th 904 36.5%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 48.06 482nd 1027 53.1%
2022 50.18 227th 444 48.9%
2023 59.97 180th 617 70.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 38.92 806th 975 17.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.04 310th 417 25.7%
2021 26.30 1000th 1201 16.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 43.60 585th 1116 47.6%
2024 36.73 324th 546 40.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 30.73 408th 423 3.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.27 642nd 1023 37.2%
2019 23.13 651st 862 24.5%
2021 38.88 678th 1219 44.4%
2023 42.10 636th 1219 47.8%
2024 35.60 389th 593 34.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.42 791st 1032 23.4%
2019 25.48 609th 850 28.4%
2021 37.83 688th 1220 43.6%
2022 22.27 656th 830 21.0%
2023 32.43 775th 1216 36.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 66.13 186th 620 70.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 33.67 626th 895 30.1%
2023 48.02 301st 607 50.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.84 585th 911 35.8%
2019 34.78 447th 709 37.0%
2021 26.84 913th 1198 23.8%
2023 42.75 623rd 1170 46.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 21.06 159th 171 7.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Wheeler Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.37 689th 720 4.3%
2021 55.64 475th 1161 59.1%
2023 21.67 863rd 1024 15.7%
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.

Wheeler Elementary 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 Wheeler Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 498 37 11 69 14 n/a n/a -42 587
1989 503 43 9 69 7 n/a n/a -46 585
1990 486 35 15 76 5 n/a n/a 33 650
1991 519 34 17 104 9 n/a n/a -14 669
1992 491 35 21 101 10 n/a n/a 1 659
1993 511 41 14 95 13 n/a n/a 0 674
1994 443 36 15 96 7 n/a n/a 0 597
1995 390 56 14 98 1 n/a n/a 0 559
1996 390 56 14 98 1 n/a n/a 0 559
1997 389 51 18 96 2 n/a n/a 0 556
1998 392 43 20 115 4 n/a n/a 0 574
1999 372 42 18 120 5 n/a n/a 0 557
2000 335 55 20 118 3 n/a n/a 0 531
2001 329 51 18 122 3 n/a n/a 0 523
2002 240 41 20 141 6 n/a n/a 0 448
2003 240 41 20 141 6 n/a n/a 0 448
2004 215 50 18 136 7 n/a n/a 0 426
2005 175 50 25 135 7 n/a n/a 0 392
2006 171 43 20 128 4 n/a n/a 0 366
2007 186 36 12 142 6 n/a n/a 0 382
2008 170 32 13 151 9 n/a n/a 0 375
2009 171 23 9 138 7 n/a n/a 0 348
2010 153 28 16 118 11 n/a n/a 0 326
2011 133 10 5 130 4 0 17 0 299
2012 123 15 7 143 5 4 23 0 320
2013 117 14 4 148 5 3 14 0 305
2014 159 42 5 216 5 3 39 0 469
2015 155 43 6 228 12 3 44 0 491
2016 155 29 4 179 14 2 22 0 405
2017 143 30 6 220 3 4 28 0 434
2018 180 30 10 235 9 3 29 0 496
2019 161 39 9 220 5 4 30 0 468
2020 145 56 10 242 4 5 31 0 493
2021 109 59 9 197 3 6 22 0 405
2022 112 43 11 211 3 4 23 0 407
2023 119 41 13 210 10 2 21 0 416

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 Wheeler Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 587 21.5 27.3 n/a
1989 585 20.0 29.2 n/a
1990 650 23.0 28.2 n/a
1991 669 28.0 23.8 n/a
1992 659 27.5 23.9 n/a
1993 674 28.0 24.1 n/a
1994 597 25.8 23.1 n/a
1995 559 23.0 24.3 n/a
1996 559 23.0 24.3 n/a
1997 556 23.0 24.2 n/a
1998 574 25.0 23.0 n/a
1999 557 25.0 22.3 n/a
2000 531 23.0 23.1 n/a
2001 523 26.0 20.1 n/a
2002 448 21.0 21.3 n/a
2003 448 21.0 21.3 n/a
2004 426 21.0 20.3 66.2
2005 392 17.0 23.1 65.8
2006 366 18.0 20.3 54.9
2007 382 21.0 18.2 30.6
2008 375 19.0 19.7 0.8
2009 348 19.5 17.8 50
2010 326 14.7 22.1 52.8
2011 299 15.5 19.2 48.8
2012 320 13.5 23.7 60
2013 305 15.5 19.6 68.5
2014 469 27.2 17.2 75.9
2015 491 22.0 22.3 73.9
2016 405 25.0 16.2 2.5
2017 434 22.0 19.7 74.9
2018 496 24.0 20.6 70.8
2019 468 27.0 17.3 67.7
2020 493 27.0 18.2 71.8
2021 405 27.0 15.0 n/a
2022 407 29.0 14.0 71.7
2023 416 28.9 14.3 72.8

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 Wheeler Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 587 21.5 27.3 n/a
1989 585 20.0 29.2 n/a
1990 650 23.0 28.2 n/a
1991 669 28.0 23.8 n/a
1992 659 27.5 23.9 n/a
1993 674 28.0 24.1 n/a
1994 597 25.8 23.1 n/a
1995 559 23.0 24.3 n/a
1996 559 23.0 24.3 n/a
1997 556 23.0 24.2 n/a
1998 574 25.0 23.0 n/a
1999 557 25.0 22.3 n/a
2000 531 23.0 23.1 n/a
2001 523 26.0 20.1 n/a
2002 448 21.0 21.3 n/a
2003 448 21.0 21.3 n/a
2004 426 21.0 20.3 66.2
2005 392 17.0 23.1 65.8
2006 366 18.0 20.3 54.9
2007 382 21.0 18.2 30.6
2008 375 19.0 19.7 0.8
2009 348 19.5 17.8 50
2010 326 14.7 22.1 52.8
2011 299 15.5 19.2 48.8
2012 320 13.5 23.7 60
2013 305 15.5 19.6 68.5
2014 469 27.2 17.2 75.9
2015 491 22.0 22.3 73.9
2016 405 25.0 16.2 2.5
2017 434 22.0 19.7 74.9
2018 496 24.0 20.6 70.8
2019 468 27.0 17.3 67.7
2020 493 27.0 18.2 71.8
2021 405 27.0 15.0 n/a
2022 407 29.0 14.0 71.7
2023 416 28.9 14.3 72.8

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 Wheeler Elementary 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 $1,270 (11.3%) $216 (1.9%) $2,756 (24.5%) $8,584 (76.2%) $1,191 (10.6%) $9,775 (86.8%) $11,261
2020 $1,138 (15.2%) $177 (2.4%) $2,454 (32.7%) $5,768 (76.9%) $417 (5.6%) $6,184 (82.5%) $7,500

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Wheeler Elementary 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 746th of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 708th of 1245 Elementary schools
 14.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students468416
 11.1%
African American3941
 5.1%
American Indian510
 100%
Asian913
 44.4%
Hispanic220210
 4.5%
Pacific Islander42
 50%
White161119
 26.1%
Two or More Races3021
 30%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients67.7%72.8%
 5.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Wheeler Elementary School

Students who attend Wheeler Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Palo Verde High Magnet School
High : University High School
Alternative : Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Wheeler Elementary School ranks 574th of 904 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Wheeler Elementary School are 50% Hispanic, 29% White, 10% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 416 students attended Wheeler Elementary 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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