Mesa Unified District (4235)

Mesa Unified District (4235) is Arizona's third-largest school district, serving 55,600 students across 85 schools in Maricopa County. The district maintains a student-teacher ratio of 15.6:1 with 3,554 teachers on staff.

Academically, Mesa's proficiency rates fall slightly below state averages. Math proficiency stands at 31.0% compared to the state average of 32.4%, while reading proficiency is 38.0% against the state average of 40.2%. However, the district's graduation rate of 85.1% significantly exceeds Arizona's state average of 67.3%, with a corresponding dropout rate of 3.1%.

The student population reflects significant economic and linguistic diversity. Approximately 51.7% of students qualify as economically disadvantaged, 12.0% are English learners, and 17.7% receive special education services. Racially, the district is 48.1% Hispanic, 37.0% White, 4.7% Black, and 1.1% Asian.

A notable financial consideration is that Mesa's per-pupil spending of $12,254 falls considerably below the state average of $16,140, a difference of approximately $3,886 per student. This funding gap may influence resource availability across the district's schools. Despite the above-average graduation rate, the below-average proficiency metrics alongside below-average per-pupil spending suggest potential challenges in academic achievement relative to resource levels available in comparable Arizona districts.