Top Rankings
Mesa Unified District (4235) School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Arizona for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 16 public middle schools serving 10,794 students in Mesa Unified District (4235) School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in Arizona.
Public Middle Schools in Mesa Unified District (4235) School District have an average math proficiency score of 27% (versus the Arizona public middle school average of 33%), and reading proficiency score of 36% (versus the 40% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 60% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Arizona public middle school average of 65% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (AZ)
# Schools
76 Schools
1,136 Schools
# Students
57,204 Students
601,819 Students
# Teachers
3,288 Teachers
23,710 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
17:1
17:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Mesa Unified District (4235) School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 607 school districts in Arizona (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 82% has increased from 79% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#273 out of 631 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(22-23)33%
34%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
38%
40%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
22%
24%
Graduation Rate
(22-23)82%
77%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.63
0.66
% American Indian
4%
4%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
47%
46%
% Black
5%
6%
% White
38%
35%
% Hawaiian
1%
n/a
% Two or more races
4%
5%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $12,322 is higher than the state median of $11,421. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,910 is higher than the state median of $11,323. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$705 MM
$12,837 MM
Spending
$681 MM
$12,727 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,322
$11,421
Spending / Student
$11,910
$11,323
Best Mesa Unified District (4235) School District Public Middle Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Mesa Academy For Advanced Studies
(Math: 86% | Reading: 94%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 1%10
6919 E Brown Rd
Mesa, AZ 85207
(480) 308-7400
Mesa, AZ 85207
(480) 308-7400
Grades: 4-9
| 378 students
Rank: #22.
Franklin Junior High School
(Math: 74% | Reading: 88%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
4949 E Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ 85206
(480) 472-8990
Mesa, AZ 85206
(480) 472-8990
Grades: 7-9
| 282 students
Rank: #33.
Franklin Accelerated Academy - Jordan Campus
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
1313 W. Medina Ave
Mesa, AZ 85202
(480) 472-3900
Mesa, AZ 85202
(480) 472-3900
Grades: PK-8
| 309 students
Rank: #44.
Mesa Distance Learning Program
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
1025 N Country Club Dr
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 308-6015
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 308-6015
Grades: K-12
| 80 students
Rank: #55.
Stapley Junior High School
(Math: 51% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
3250 E Hermosa Vista Dr
Mesa, AZ 85213
(480) 472-2700
Mesa, AZ 85213
(480) 472-2700
Grades: 7-9
| 946 students
Rank: #66.
Summit Academy
(Math: 38% | Reading: 56%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
1560 W Summit Pl
Chandler, AZ 85224
(480) 472-3475
Chandler, AZ 85224
(480) 472-3475
Grades: PK-8
| 1,195 students
Rank: #77.
Fremont Junior High School
(Math: 38% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
1001 N Power Rd
Mesa, AZ 85205
(480) 472-8300
Mesa, AZ 85205
(480) 472-8300
Grades: 7-8
| 925 students
Rank: #88.
Eagleridge Enrichment Program
(Math: 20% | Reading: 43%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
1313 W Medina Ave
Mesa, AZ 85202
(480) 472-3686
Mesa, AZ 85202
(480) 472-3686
Grades: K-9
| 684 students
Rank: #99.
Shepherd Junior High School
(Math: 22% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
1407 N Alta Mesa Dr
Mesa, AZ 85205
(480) 472-1800
Mesa, AZ 85205
(480) 472-1800
Grades: 4-8
| 667 students
Rank: #1010.
Poston Junior High School
(Math: 22% | Reading: 33%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
2433 E Adobe St
Mesa, AZ 85213
(480) 472-2100
Mesa, AZ 85213
(480) 472-2100
Grades: 7-9
| 779 students
Rank: #1111.
Taylor Junior High School
(Math: 22% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
705 S 32nd St
Mesa, AZ 85204
(480) 472-1500
Mesa, AZ 85204
(480) 472-1500
Grades: 7-9
| 869 students
Rank: #1212.
Smith Junior High School
(Math: 15% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
10100 E Adobe Rd
Mesa, AZ 85207
(480) 472-9900
Mesa, AZ 85207
(480) 472-9900
Grades: 7-8
| 762 students
Rank: #1313.
Rhodes Junior High School
(Math: 9% | Reading: 20%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
1860 S Longmore
Mesa, AZ 85202
(480) 472-2300
Mesa, AZ 85202
(480) 472-2300
Grades: 7-9
| 658 students
Rank: #1414.
Carson Junior High School
(Math: 7% | Reading: 16%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
525 N Westwood
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 472-2900
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 472-2900
Grades: 7-9
| 922 students
Rank: #1515.
Kerr Center For Agriscience
(Math: 8% | Reading: 14%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
125 E Mclellan Rd
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 472-5100
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 472-5100
Grades: K-7
| 513 students
Rank: #1616.
Kino Junior High School
(Math: 5% | Reading: 15%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
848 N Horne
Mesa, AZ 85203
(480) 472-2400
Mesa, AZ 85203
(480) 472-2400
Grades: 7-8
| 825 students
Recent Articles

The Link Between Education and Incarceration: The NAACP Report
Education and the rate of incarceration have been linked in a recent NAACP report. Learn about the report and the troubling findings.

The Debate Over Mandatory AP Exams: Balancing Academic Rigor and Student Well-being
Some public schools are forcing students in AP courses to take the AP exam. Here's a look at both sides of the debate and the potential benefits in store for both students and high schools.

The 15 Biggest Failures of the American Public Education System
The world is in a constant state of change and those who fail to adjust fall behind. Unfortunately, the American public education system has not kept up with the times and is currently facing a number of serious problems. Keep reading to learn about the biggest failures affecting the modern U.S. public education system as well as some of the trends that could spark change.