Mesquite Elementary School

Summary:

Mesquite Elementary School is a highly-rated public elementary school in Tucson, Arizona, serving grades K-5 and part of the Vail Unified District. Consistently ranking among the top 5% of elementary schools in the state, Mesquite Elementary has established itself as an exceptional educational institution.

Mesquite Elementary's academic performance is truly remarkable, with students consistently outperforming state and district averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For instance, in the 2023-2024 school year, 60% of 3rd graders, 68% of 4th graders, and 57% of 5th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 39%, 46%, and 38%, respectively. The school also excels in serving diverse student populations, ranking in the top 10% of Arizona elementary schools for African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students. Additionally, Mesquite Elementary is particularly noteworthy in its support for military-connected students, ranking in the top 2% of Arizona elementary schools for this subgroup in the past two school years.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the Vail Unified District, Mesquite Elementary consistently outperforms its peers in academic proficiency, particularly in mathematics. For example, in the 2022-2023 school year, 76% of 4th graders at Mesquite Elementary were proficient in math, compared to 70% at Esmond Station School and 62% at Cottonwood Elementary. This consistent high performance has earned Mesquite Elementary a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for several consecutive years, placing it among the top-ranked elementary schools in the state.


Detail:

Public K-5

 9455 E Rita Rd
       Tucson, AZ  85747-6300


(520) 879-2102

District: Vail Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
124th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,901 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  22.3 Help
Number of students:  736

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
42.0%
White:
38.7%
Two or more races:
10.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  22.8% Help


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 Compare Mesquite Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Mesquite Elementary School ranks better than 86.3% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks 5th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Vail Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.4. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (42%), White (38.7%), two or more races (10.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 22.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mesquite Elementary School is 22.3, which is the highest among 10 elementary schools in the Vail Unified District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Mesquite Elementary School employs 32.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mesquite Elementary School is $5,901. 6 elementary schools in the Vail Unified District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mesquite Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesquite Elementary School 124th of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Mesquite Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Vail Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Vail Unified District 62nd of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Mesquite Elementary School?

Rank History for Mesquite Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 91.36 30th 1062 97.2%
2010 91.93 36th 1090 96.7%
2011 92.52 27th 1075 97.5%
2014 92.37 36th 1079 96.7%
2015 89.26 80th 955 91.6%
2016 91.90 68th 1079 93.7%
2017 93.59 54th 1106 95.1%
2018 93.58 49th 1109 95.6%
2019 93.69 40th 1039 96.2%
2021 92.19 86th 1226 93.0%
2022 91.21 53rd 1000 94.7%
2023 94.15 60th 1245 95.2%
2024 84.40 124th 904 86.3%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 85.25 41st 1027 96.0%
2022 85.58 26th 444 94.1%
2023 74.63 89th 617 85.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 59.37 72nd 975 92.6%
2023 95.08 13th 451 97.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.45 20th 417 95.2%
2021 73.06 125th 1201 89.6%
2022 73.05 46th 145 68.3%
2023 57.29 252nd 820 69.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.94 9th 820 98.9%
2022 84.54 63rd 618 89.8%
2023 89.89 54th 1116 95.2%
2024 80.85 68th 546 87.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 93.14 48th 1023 95.3%
2019 90.12 47th 862 94.5%
2021 92.05 71st 1219 94.2%
2022 87.89 55th 824 93.3%
2023 95.34 31st 1219 97.5%
2024 72.26 134th 593 77.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 75.36 31st 239 87.0%
2022 95.37 2nd 101 98.0%
2023 93.71 2nd 145 98.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.33 66th 1032 93.6%
2019 92.81 30th 850 96.5%
2021 90.93 93rd 1220 92.4%
2022 88.71 44th 830 94.7%
2023 91.21 85th 1216 93.0%
2024 73.04 140th 609 77.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 76.90 75th 620 87.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 79.45 59th 895 93.4%
2022 65.61 86th 289 70.2%
2023 95.30 7th 607 98.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.53 13th 911 98.6%
2019 94.89 22nd 709 96.9%
2021 93.03 41st 1198 96.6%
2022 90.86 38th 716 94.7%
2023 94.33 35th 1170 97.0%
2024 82.15 70th 472 85.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 64.13 89th 654 86.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 45.77 11th 24 54.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Mesquite Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.66 43rd 720 94.0%
2019 83.48 57th 595 90.4%
2021 84.88 101st 1161 91.3%
2022 82.73 63rd 800 92.1%
2023 88.13 62nd 1024 93.9%
2024 67.48 132nd 477 72.3%
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.

Mesquite Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Monday, July 2, 2012

Open Quote I understand that Mesquite has an excellent rating but then why are my 2 grandsons who go there always very bored ?? Close Quote



Enrollment information for Mesquite Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2000 472 38 11 108 2 n/a n/a 0 631
2001 577 50 20 183 12 n/a n/a 0 842
2002 439 31 20 164 7 n/a n/a 0 661
2003 439 31 20 164 7 n/a n/a 0 661
2004 383 38 21 117 5 n/a n/a 0 564
2005 397 25 26 119 3 n/a n/a 0 570
2006 395 44 35 149 7 n/a n/a 0 630
2007 410 34 25 155 7 n/a n/a 0 631
2008 397 36 28 171 6 n/a n/a 0 638
2009 369 41 25 163 9 n/a n/a 0 607
2010 360 37 32 161 5 n/a n/a 0 595
2011 357 38 29 181 3 0 0 0 608
2013 308 38 32 205 2 1 11 0 597
2014 344 34 27 243 4 2 22 0 676
2015 325 32 21 251 5 0 33 0 667
2016 297 22 19 268 4 0 34 0 644
2017 298 21 17 291 5 2 39 0 673
2018 292 14 19 270 4 2 46 0 647
2019 255 10 21 273 2 5 56 0 622
2020 254 13 24 288 2 2 66 0 649
2021 256 16 22 269 3 5 58 0 629
2022 287 22 28 303 2 6 68 0 716
2023 285 33 27 309 1 3 78 0 736

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 Mesquite Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 631 34.7 18.2 n/a
2001 842 45.1 18.7 n/a
2002 661 36.9 17.9 19.4
2003 661 36.9 17.9 19.4
2004 564 27.9 20.2 19.9
2005 570 35.1 16.2 n/a
2006 630 36.0 17.5 16.5
2007 631 28.6 22.1 16.2
2008 638 37.8 16.9 13.3
2009 607 34.5 17.6 18
2010 595 33.0 18.0 18
2011 608 30.3 20.0 18.4
2013 597 n/a n/a 26
2014 676 n/a n/a 26.6
2015 667 n/a n/a 30.3
2016 644 n/a n/a 2
2017 673 n/a n/a 26.9
2018 647 0.0 n/a 22.7
2019 622 35.8 17.3 21.7
2020 649 30.0 21.6 21.9
2021 629 30.9 20.3 n/a
2022 716 32.6 21.9 11.9
2023 736 32.9 22.3 22.8

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 Mesquite Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 631 34.7 18.2 n/a
2001 842 45.1 18.7 n/a
2002 661 36.9 17.9 19.4
2003 661 36.9 17.9 19.4
2004 564 27.9 20.2 19.9
2005 570 35.1 16.2 n/a
2006 630 36.0 17.5 16.5
2007 631 28.6 22.1 16.2
2008 638 37.8 16.9 13.3
2009 607 34.5 17.6 18
2010 595 33.0 18.0 18
2011 608 30.3 20.0 18.4
2013 597 n/a n/a 26
2014 676 n/a n/a 26.6
2015 667 n/a n/a 30.3
2016 644 n/a n/a 2
2017 673 n/a n/a 26.9
2018 647 0.0 n/a 22.7
2019 622 35.8 17.3 21.7
2020 649 30.0 21.6 21.9
2021 629 30.9 20.3 n/a
2022 716 32.6 21.9 11.9
2023 736 32.9 22.3 22.8

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 Mesquite 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 $286 (3.4%) $76 (0.9%) $648 (7.7%) $7,143 (84.4%) $954 (11.3%) $8,098 (95.7%) $8,459
2020 $244 (3.1%) $230 (3.0%) $717 (9.2%) $6,395 (82.1%) $920 (11.8%) $7,315 (93.9%) $7,789
2021 $303 (5.2%) $18 (0.3%) $624 (10.7%) $5,334 (91.6%) $171 (2.9%) $5,505 (94.5%) $5,826
2022 $130 (2.2%) $01 (0.0%) $262 (4.4%) $5,634 (95.5%) $135 (2.3%) $5,769 (97.8%) $5,901

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Mesquite 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 40th of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 60th of 1245 Elementary schools
 1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students622736
 18.3%
African American1033
 230%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian2127
 28.6%
Hispanic273309
 13.2%
Pacific Islander53
 40%
White255285
 11.8%
Two or More Races5678
 39.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients21.7%22.8%
 1.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Mesquite Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 736 students attended Mesquite Elementary School.

Students at Mesquite Elementary School are 42% Hispanic, 39% White, 11% Two or more races, 4% African American, 4% Asian.

Mesquite Elementary School ranks 124th of 904 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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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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