Cholla High School

Summary:

Cholla High School is a public high school in Tucson, Arizona, serving grades 8-12 with a total enrollment of 1,760 students. The school is part of the Tucson Unified School District, which is ranked 207 out of 288 districts in Arizona and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cholla High School consistently performs below the Tucson Unified District and the state of Arizona in standardized test scores. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 14% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 31% in the Tucson Unified District and 38% statewide. In Mathematics, only 6% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better, compared to 20% in the district and 30% statewide. Cholla High School also has a lower four-year graduation rate (84.5% in 2022-2023) and a higher dropout rate (5.4% in 2022-2023) compared to nearby Tucson Magnet High School.

Cholla High School has a significantly higher percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (61.93% in 2022-2023) compared to the nearby City High School (36.56%) and Tucson Magnet High School (51.96%). The school's performance varies significantly among different student subgroups, and it has a lower per-student spending ($6,602 in 2019-2020) compared to the nearby City High School ($8,719 in 2021-2022), which may contribute to its lower academic performance.


Detail:

Public 8-12

 2001 W Starr Pass Blvd
       Tucson, AZ  85713-1303


(520) 225-4000

District: Tucson Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
253rd of 259 Arizona High Schools


Feeder schools for Cholla High School:

Elementary:    Harriet Johnson Primary School
    Henry Hank Oyama
    Laura N. Banks Elementary
    Maldonado Amelia Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Anna Lawrence Intermediate School
    Valencia Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.0 Help
Number of students:  1,760

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
81.6%
White:
7.5%
American Indian:
6.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  61.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cholla High School ranks worse than 97.7% of high schools in Arizona. It also ranks last among 10 ranked high schools in the Tucson Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.25. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Cholla High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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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 (81.6%), White (7.5%), American Indian (6.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 61.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cholla High School is 19. 6 high schools in the Tucson Unified District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cholla High School employs 92.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cholla High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cholla High School 253rd of 259 Arizona public high schools. (See Cholla High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Tucson Unified District:

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


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Your rating for Cholla High School?

Rank History for Cholla High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 40.29 239th 395 39.5%
2010 36.97 261st 403 35.2%
2011 30.60 269th 397 32.2%
2012 40.02 284th 471 39.7%
2013 40.71 288th 491 41.3%
2014 30.98 279th 394 29.2%
2015 12.67 254th 261 2.7%
2016 20.78 303rd 406 25.4%
2017 17.93 332nd 416 20.2%
2018 17.18 339th 420 19.3%
2019 15.69 248th 285 13.0%
2021 29.00 329th 509 35.4%
2022 18.11 363rd 464 21.8%
2023 16.12 407th 469 13.2%
2024 8.25 253rd 259 2.3%
See the entire list of Arizona High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 98.15 1st 374 99.7%
2022 37.95 170th 282 39.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 44.58 29th 312 90.7%
2022 41.67 53rd 258 79.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.83 152nd 155 1.9%
2021 31.85 212th 422 49.8%
2022 32.37 192nd 380 49.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 14.10 164th 168 2.4%
2023 15.93 313th 347 9.8%
2024 8.45 168th 168 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.34 18th 26 30.8%
2021 60.21 35th 168 79.2%
2022 49.37 49th 150 67.3%
2023 26.69 44th 60 26.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.58 314th 354 11.3%
2019 14.09 225th 247 8.9%
2021 28.20 332nd 492 32.5%
2022 15.22 383rd 456 16.0%
2023 13.23 381st 406 6.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 39.15 83rd 125 33.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.89 325th 370 12.2%
2019 13.98 220th 238 7.6%
2021 31.30 307th 492 37.6%
2022 19.98 343rd 455 24.6%
2023 13.47 392nd 429 8.6%
2024 5.99 205th 207 1.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 50.35 131st 231 43.3%
2022 36.83 159th 238 33.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 25.95 209th 301 30.6%
2023 74.26 42nd 201 79.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.23 254th 311 18.3%
2019 22.32 148th 183 19.1%
2021 33.63 298th 479 37.8%
2022 21.40 342nd 441 22.4%
2023 14.22 352nd 379 7.1%
2024 8.08 162nd 164 1.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.32 61st 68 10.3%
2021 30.29 115th 256 55.1%
2022 25.05 150th 255 41.2%
2023 24.75 86th 128 32.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Cholla High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.54 270th 291 7.2%
2021 20.47 338th 448 24.6%
2022 23.44 306th 409 25.2%
2023 8.54 346th 371 6.7%
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.

Cholla High 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 student
Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Open Quote I am currently a senior (class of 2010) at Cholla High. This school isn't the best, but that doesn't mean it should be completely written off. I didn't strive, and work hard to be 15th in my class, for people to think of my education as worthless simply because of the school I attend. Being a student, the violence and drugs honestly isn't worst than any other school in Tusd. My Cousin attends Sabino and, she says its just as bad over there. Cholla doesn't kick students out if they don't meet a certain GPA, I bet if Cholla did, we would have better test scores, and an overall well rating as well. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Cholla High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 776 93 17 689 97 n/a n/a -69 1603
1990 740 102 18 723 110 n/a n/a -97 1596
1991 609 101 6 881 147 n/a n/a -237 1507
1992 492 95 7 751 163 n/a n/a 0 1508
1993 417 105 13 874 134 n/a n/a 0 1543
1994 365 102 9 890 167 n/a n/a 0 1533
1995 402 91 18 906 139 n/a n/a 0 1556
1996 402 91 18 906 139 n/a n/a 0 1556
1997 376 72 13 929 153 n/a n/a 0 1543
1998 387 72 16 913 172 n/a n/a 0 1560
1999 380 66 13 943 181 n/a n/a 0 1583
2000 381 76 16 930 187 n/a n/a 0 1590
2001 335 73 13 929 189 n/a n/a 0 1539
2002 330 78 16 1040 215 n/a n/a 0 1679
2003 330 78 16 1040 215 n/a n/a 0 1679
2004 327 73 14 1035 181 n/a n/a 0 1630
2005 305 67 16 1046 173 n/a n/a 0 1607
2006 304 74 17 1165 185 n/a n/a 0 1745
2007 295 71 22 1218 176 n/a n/a 0 1782
2008 299 58 23 1201 168 n/a n/a 0 1749
2009 249 62 23 1241 141 n/a n/a 0 1716
2010 248 60 14 1251 153 n/a n/a 0 1726
2011 177 45 8 1318 143 4 14 0 1709
2012 175 53 8 1254 106 2 15 0 1613
2013 150 61 5 1233 102 2 18 0 1571
2014 145 60 6 1314 107 4 29 0 1665
2015 137 78 5 1350 113 4 25 0 1712
2016 140 82 7 1469 129 4 21 0 1852
2017 145 74 8 1528 109 3 18 0 1885
2018 125 59 7 1547 124 6 24 0 1892
2019 125 53 7 1531 111 4 25 0 1856
2020 112 49 7 1463 103 1 30 0 1765
2021 112 42 11 1386 106 1 26 0 1684
2022 128 44 9 1389 116 2 26 0 1714
2023 132 42 11 1437 108 0 30 0 1760

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 Cholla High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1603 66.8 23.9 n/a
1990 1596 76.7 20.8 n/a
1991 1507 82.0 18.3 n/a
1992 1508 75.7 19.9 n/a
1993 1543 68.2 22.6 n/a
1994 1533 79.4 19.3 n/a
1995 1556 89.6 17.4 n/a
1996 1556 89.6 17.4 n/a
1997 1543 96.4 16.0 n/a
1998 1560 88.6 17.6 n/a
1999 1583 99.6 15.9 n/a
2000 1590 98.0 16.2 n/a
2001 1539 96.2 16.0 n/a
2002 1679 95.8 17.5 n/a
2003 1679 95.8 17.5 n/a
2004 1630 98.0 16.6 60.2
2005 1607 89.0 18.1 61.8
2006 1745 100.0 17.5 57.8
2007 1782 108.4 16.4 39.7
2008 1749 108.0 16.2 0.7
2009 1716 110.0 15.6 53.6
2010 1726 106.2 16.2 54.2
2011 1709 96.3 17.7 60.4
2012 1613 97.0 16.6 62.7
2013 1571 85.5 18.3 71.4
2014 1665 79.4 20.9 72.9
2015 1712 84.0 20.3 75.2
2016 1852 86.0 21.5 n/a
2017 1885 98.6 19.1 69.4
2018 1892 103.9 18.2 67
2019 1856 103.1 18.0 60.9
2020 1765 102.7 17.1 62.9
2021 1684 100.7 16.7 n/a
2022 1714 99.3 17.2 29.2
2023 1760 92.2 19.0 61.9

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 Cholla High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1603 66.8 23.9 n/a
1990 1596 76.7 20.8 n/a
1991 1507 82.0 18.3 n/a
1992 1508 75.7 19.9 n/a
1993 1543 68.2 22.6 n/a
1994 1533 79.4 19.3 n/a
1995 1556 89.6 17.4 n/a
1996 1556 89.6 17.4 n/a
1997 1543 96.4 16.0 n/a
1998 1560 88.6 17.6 n/a
1999 1583 99.6 15.9 n/a
2000 1590 98.0 16.2 n/a
2001 1539 96.2 16.0 n/a
2002 1679 95.8 17.5 n/a
2003 1679 95.8 17.5 n/a
2004 1630 98.0 16.6 60.2
2005 1607 89.0 18.1 61.8
2006 1745 100.0 17.5 57.8
2007 1782 108.4 16.4 39.7
2008 1749 108.0 16.2 0.7
2009 1716 110.0 15.6 53.6
2010 1726 106.2 16.2 54.2
2011 1709 96.3 17.7 60.4
2012 1613 97.0 16.6 62.7
2013 1571 85.5 18.3 71.4
2014 1665 79.4 20.9 72.9
2015 1712 84.0 20.3 75.2
2016 1852 86.0 21.5 n/a
2017 1885 98.6 19.1 69.4
2018 1892 103.9 18.2 67
2019 1856 103.1 18.0 60.9
2020 1765 102.7 17.1 62.9
2021 1684 100.7 16.7 n/a
2022 1714 99.3 17.2 29.2
2023 1760 92.2 19.0 61.9

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 Cholla High 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 $833 (9.1%) $106 (1.2%) $1,772 (19.4%) $6,684 (73.0%) $1,526 (16.7%) $8,210 (89.7%) $9,150
2020 $680 (10.3%) $177 (2.7%) $1,538 (23.3%) $4,950 (75.0%) $794 (12.0%) $5,745 (87.0%) $6,602

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Cholla High 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 248th of 285 High schoolsRanks 407th of 469 High schools
 0.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Cholla High School)1016
 6%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Tucson Unified District)2336
 13%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Arizona)2941
 12%
11th Grade Mathematics (Cholla High School)1011
 1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Tucson Unified District)2425
 1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Arizona)3332
 1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students18561760
 5.2%
African American5342
 20.8%
American Indian111108
 2.7%
Asian711
 57.1%
Hispanic15311437
 6.1%
Pacific Islander40
 100%
White125132
 5.6%
Two or More Races2530
 20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients60.9%61.9%
 1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Cholla High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,760 students attended Cholla High School.

Students at Cholla High School are 82% Hispanic, 8% White, 6% American Indian, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Cholla High School ranks in the bottom 2.3% of Arizona high schools.


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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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