Festival Foothills Elementary School

Summary:

Festival Foothills Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Buckeye, Arizona, part of the Wickenburg Unified District. The school has seen a shift in its student racial makeup in recent years, with a decrease in the percentage of White students and an increase in Hispanic students.

Festival Foothills Elementary consistently outperforms the Wickenburg Unified District and the state of Arizona in academic proficiency, with strong performance among certain student subgroups, such as special education and low-income students. However, the school struggles in other areas, such as performance for African American students and English Language Learners. Compared to nearby schools, Festival Foothills generally outperforms the Nadaburg Unified School District schools but lags behind the higher-performing Paragon Management Inc. charter schools and Dysart Unified District schools.

The school's spending per student has decreased in recent years, which may impact the resources and support available to students. Despite these challenges, Festival Foothills Elementary remains a strong-performing school within its district, with particular strengths in academic achievement, special education, and low-income student performance.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

 26252 W. Desert Vista Blvd.
       Buckeye, AZ  85396


(928) 501-6000

District: Wickenburg Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
332nd of 912 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,487 Help


Students who attend Festival Foothills Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Wickenburg High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.1 Help
Number of students:  314

Racial breakdown:

White:
52.5%
Hispanic:
34.7%
African American:
6.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  30.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Festival Foothills Elementary School ranks better than 63.6% of elementary schools in Arizona. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.81. (See more...)
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Compare Details Festival Foothills Elementary School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.38. (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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (52.5%), Hispanic (34.7%), African American (6.4%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Festival Foothills Elementary School is 17.1. (See more...)
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Compare Festival Foothills Elementary School employs 18.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Festival Foothills Elementary School is $5,487.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Festival Foothills Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Wickenburg Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Wickenburg Unified District 202nd of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Festival Foothills Elementary School?

Rank History for Festival Foothills Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 81.95 168th 1062 84.2%
2010 84.60 142nd 1090 87.0%
2011 80.10 208th 1075 80.7%
2012 83.00 137th 1141 88.0%
2013 77.14 228th 1158 80.3%
2014 75.44 266th 1079 75.3%
2015 74.07 223rd 955 76.6%
2016 64.62 356th 1079 67.0%
2017 54.38 450th 1106 59.3%
2018 62.13 394th 1109 64.5%
2019 59.79 399th 1039 61.6%
2021 68.57 361st 1226 70.6%
2022 54.25 395th 1000 60.5%
2023 54.77 491st 1245 60.6%
2024 59.81 332nd 912 63.6%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 43.14 565th 1027 45.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Festival Foothills 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 elementary school Special Education students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 61.42 257th 1201 78.6%
2023 58.75 240th 820 70.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 58.91 364th 1116 67.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Homeless students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 78.47 11th 423 97.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.78 358th 1023 65.0%
2021 58.52 438th 1219 64.1%
2023 52.44 501st 1219 58.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Military Connected students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 69.12 58th 239 75.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.75 444th 1032 57.0%
2021 64.62 386th 1220 68.4%
2023 54.31 494th 1216 59.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 32.24 437th 607 28.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 56.01 428th 1198 64.3%
2023 63.86 348th 1170 70.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school Native American students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 27.00 641st 654 2.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Pacific Islander students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 58.72 46th 171 73.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.48 399th 720 44.6%
2019 43.83 354th 595 40.5%
2021 60.17 410th 1161 64.7%
2022 41.45 487th 800 39.1%
2023 41.22 600th 1024 41.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Festival Foothills Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 82.62 103rd 692 85.1%
2011 79.12 128th 685 81.3%
2012 74.46 171st 772 77.8%
2013 70.88 200th 787 74.6%
2014 74.95 169th 690 75.5%
2016 62.00 211th 677 68.8%
2017 62.44 211th 695 69.6%
2018 60.72 233rd 711 67.2%
2019 67.18 186th 605 69.3%
2021 69.16 204th 832 75.5%
2023 42.38 403rd 854 52.8%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 35.66 425th 650 34.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 56.94 44th 606 92.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 45.03 345th 789 56.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 55.01 233rd 717 67.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.64 253rd 624 59.5%
2019 74.06 97th 466 79.2%
2021 70.95 192nd 820 76.6%
2022 21.77 390th 494 21.1%
2023 42.47 388th 806 51.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.54 191st 617 69.0%
2021 61.00 245th 818 70.0%
2022 28.56 326th 476 31.5%
2023 47.76 347th 810 57.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 99.40 4th 573 99.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 50.97 286th 802 64.3%
2022 13.94 368th 392 6.1%
2023 39.32 411th 760 45.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Festival Foothills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.71 271st 436 37.8%
2019 61.28 121st 337 64.1%
2021 63.43 234th 780 70.0%
2023 38.12 405th 675 40.0%
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.

Festival Foothills Elementary School Test Scores
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Years: 
  
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Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
50%

0%

0%

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50%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Saturday, March 5, 2022

Open Quote How do you function in a school without a Discipline program either school or district-wide? You don't. Therefore, this may be the reason for the mass exodus of teachers who are still leaving (they have lost 3 since January 2022). The principal does not care about her staff or the kids. Morale is staggering low and we can only pray now they recover from losing their best teachers. It was not the ho hums that left. It is their powerhouse teachers that are leaving!!!! Try this school out for yourself. You will see. Sometimes (most often) seeing is believing. But do not say you were not warned. This was referred to as a country bumpkin school years ago...it still is. The community is a facade and what you see is not what you get. I still live here but my kids have been pulled and many are pulling their children for next year. This is NOT A SAFE environment. It is a toxic school environment for your babies, the teachers, and for community. One star is way too many! Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, November 9, 2014

Open Quote I have lived in this community and my child has attended the school for 6 years now. I cannot say enough about the hard working and dedicated teachers and staff. We live in a rural area and maybe..according to another post....makes us a "country bumpkin school". But I chose to live in this rural area and just like anyone else, I have the choice to send my child wherever I want to for her education. As far as Christina Strauss goes, the parent who thinks the school went down after Hespen left... just know that Christina Strauss was the one handling most if not all of the discipline issues while Ms, Hespen was there. Ms. Hespen was attending other schools getting herself set up for a permanent move. I stand behind and stand up for our little school and all those dedicated to our children's education! Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Open Quote Best school. So happy our child goes here. Thank you to all the teachers who have given my son a will and a way to learn. He is excelling for the first time. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, July 22, 2012

Open Quote Christina Strauss is a breath of fresh air. She instills a vision of excellence through compassion and leadership. We moved to the Foothills from Surprise. The difference in schools was amazing. No theft, little bullying and people who honestly care about children. The small town environment and low student count provides a rare environment where students can thrive. Thank you Festival Foothills! Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Open Quote When Marcia Hespen was principal last year, the school was excellent and under true leadership. This year with Christina Strauss taking over, things have fallen into despair. Discipline problems are up. Achievement is down. There is no true vision and leadership. We transferred my son from here to a Peoria school when we moved and he was far far behind in technology skills. THey have one computer lab for all their grades and a teacher who does both PE and technology. They do not prepare students adequately for higher grades and technology achievement. They talk a big game about how "family oriented" they are but it's really a euphemism for "country bumpkin school". Close Quote



Enrollment information for Festival Foothills Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2008 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 0
2009 93 2 6 19 2 n/a n/a 0 122
2010 118 3 3 16 3 n/a n/a 0 143
2011 152 7 0 15 2 6 3 0 185
2012 141 6 0 16 2 6 8 0 179
2013 165 11 0 20 2 7 4 0 209
2014 167 13 0 28 3 6 4 0 221
2015 159 18 0 23 2 1 5 0 208
2016 160 20 0 26 1 1 4 0 212
2017 167 14 0 32 2 1 8 0 224
2018 168 14 2 33 2 0 8 0 227
2019 171 15 2 44 1 0 9 0 242
2020 195 19 0 55 2 4 12 0 287
2021 130 9 1 31 2 3 6 0 182
2022 192 23 1 75 2 2 13 0 308
2023 171 25 1 95 3 3 16 0 314
2024 165 20 1 109 3 2 14 0 314

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 Festival Foothills Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 0 0.0 0.0 n/a
2009 122 9.0 13.6 32.8
2010 143 10.5 13.6 38.5
2011 185 11.1 16.6 38.4
2012 179 11.6 15.4 33
2013 209 12.9 16.2 32.5
2014 221 12.9 17.1 32.6
2015 208 13.0 16.0 41.8
2016 212 13.0 16.3 35.8
2017 224 13.4 16.7 29.5
2018 227 9.8 23.1 34.4
2019 242 12.3 19.6 28.5
2020 287 12.5 22.9 30.7
2021 182 11.0 16.5 n/a
2022 308 13.8 22.3 15.9
2023 314 16.3 19.2 30.6
2024 314 18.3 17.1 n/a

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 Festival Foothills Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 0 0.0 0.0 n/a
2009 122 9.0 13.6 32.8
2010 143 10.5 13.6 38.5
2011 185 11.1 16.6 38.4
2012 179 11.6 15.4 33
2013 209 12.9 16.2 32.5
2014 221 12.9 17.1 32.6
2015 208 13.0 16.0 41.8
2016 212 13.0 16.3 35.8
2017 224 13.4 16.7 29.5
2018 227 9.8 23.1 34.4
2019 242 12.3 19.6 28.5
2020 287 12.5 22.9 30.7
2021 182 11.0 16.5 n/a
2022 308 13.8 22.3 15.9
2023 314 16.3 19.2 30.6
2024 314 18.3 17.1 n/a

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 Festival Foothills 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 $215 (2.6%) $32 (0.4%) $463 (5.6%) $6,183 (74.5%) $1,863 (22.5%) $8,047 (97.0%) $8,294
2020 $386 (5.0%) $400 (5.2%) $1,173 (15.1%) $5,495 (70.9%) $1,465 (18.9%) $6,960 (89.9%) $7,746
2021 $592 (7.9%) $540 (7.2%) $1,723 (23.1%) $5,798 (77.6%) $542 (7.3%) $6,340 (84.9%) $7,472
2022 $296 (5.4%) $590 (10.8%) $1,182 (21.5%) $4,443 (81.0%) $158 (2.9%) $4,601 (83.9%) $5,487

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Festival Foothills 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 399th of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 491st of 1245 Elementary schools
 1%
Ranks 186th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 403rd of 854 Middle schools
 16.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students242314
 29.8%
African American1525
 66.7%
American Indian13
 200%
Asian21
 50%
Hispanic4495
 115.9%
Pacific Islander03
White171171
Two or More Races916
 77.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients28.5%30.6%
 2.1%


Schools Near Festival Foothills Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Festival Foothills Elementary School

Festival Foothills Elementary School ranks 332nd of 912 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Festival Foothills Elementary School are 53% White, 35% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races.

Students who attend Festival Foothills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Wickenburg High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 314 students attended Festival Foothills 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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