Pima County schools earn higher letter grades than pre-pandemic

All of Pima County’s nine major school districts earned higher academic marks last school year than prior to the pandemic, according to letter grades issued by the Arizona Department of Education.

The letter grades, which range from A-F, are based on a range of quantitative measures including yearly student growth, statewide assessments, English language proficiency and growth, high school graduation rates, and indicators that measure whether students are prepared for high school and higher education.

Overall, the Tucson area saw a total of 61 schools earning ‘A’ letter grades across nine districts this year, meaning they demonstrated excellent performance. That was up from the 50 schools that received the same letter grade in 2019, the last time letter grades were issued.

There were also a total of 68 schools across the nine districts that earned a ‘B’ letter grade, which meant high performance, as opposed to 52 schools that earned the grade in 2019.

The Tanque Verde and Catalina Foothills school districts, two of the smallest in the county, earned the highest recognitions with all four and seven schools, respectively, earning ‘A’ letter grades for last school year.

“We believe that our CFSD schools are performing well because we have highly capable people working with our students in a culture of high expectations,” Catalina Foothills Superintendent Mary Kamerzell said in a news release. “Highly competent, caring teachers supported by strong school principals in partnership with parents is a winning combination.”

Tanque Verde Superintendent Scott Hagerman said: “I am proud of all that our students, team members, families and the community have accomplished to see that students’ academic growth improves over time.”

The Tucson Unified School District, the largest in the county, also showed significant improvements in its newly-issued letter grades. The district went from 35 schools with A-B letter grades in 2019, to 43 schools.

In the D-F range, meaning minimally performing or failing, the district went from 18 schools in 2019 to nine schools in 2022. Magee Middle School, which received an F in 2019 made a big jump to a B letter grade in this year’s results. Anna Lawrence Intermediate and Catalina High schools also made a jump from F to C.

At the Sunnyside Unified School District, more schools went from the D-F range to the A-B letter grades. In 2019, 16 schools earned either D or F, while only seven schools landed in the bottom this year. The A-B range made a big jump from only three in 2019 to 13 this year.

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Elvira Elementary maintained its A grade, while Los Amigos and Craycroft elementary schools maintained their B grades. A total of 10 more schools joined the B list this year.

“I am incredibly proud of our hard-working students and educators for putting forth their best efforts under extremely challenging conditions,” said Sunnyside Superintendent Jose Gastelum. “Through data evaluation, we focus on continuous improvement so that school leaders and educators can make the necessary adjustments to ensure the success of our students in the classroom.”

A total of 17 schools maintained their A letter grades at the Vail school district. Three schools on the list had not received a letter grade in 2019, including Vail Innovation Center, Mica Mountain High School (B letter grade) and Vail Blended Learning (A letter grade).

Vail Innovation and Cienega High School were categorized in the latest data as under review, which meant that the schools have appealed their letter grades.

Schools have until Nov. 15 to appeal their letter grades, and the State Board of Education will decide in December whether the schools deserve a different grade.

The Amphitheater school district added one school to the A-B range, for a total of 16 schools this year. Five schools earned a C letter grade.

In Marana, the three schools that had previously been issued D letter grades in 2019 moved up to higher letter grades. That included Tortolita Middle School, which went from F to C; MCAT High School, which jumped from D to B; and Marana Middle School, which went from D to C.

Overall, the Marana district went from 10 schools in the A-B range in 2019 to 13 schools in the same range.

Flowing Wells saw its six schools in the A-B range improve to eight schools, while the C category went from three schools in 2019 to two schools this year. Flowing Wells Digital Campus, which did not receive a letter grade in 2019, scored a C letter grade this year.

Lastly, the Sahuarita Unified School District bumped Sopori Elementary School, the only D school in 2019, to a C this year. Overall the district went from four A-B schools in 2019 to six this year, and only one school with a C letter grade.