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What advice would you give to incoming students at Explorer Middle School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
607
Middle
DISTRICT 624 · STATE 494
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PARADISE VALLEY UNIFIED DISTRICT (4241)·NCES 040593001230
Explorer Middle School
22401 N 40TH ST, PHOENIX, AZ 85050 · (602) 449-4200 · Maricopa County
GRADES 05–08MIDDLE11-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL607 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
19.6:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.1:1 · STATE 17.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 95%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 282 | 46% |
| Grade 8 | 325 | 54% |
Student demographics
37%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 62% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
AASA 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
61.0%
AZ avg 45.4% . -6.0pp since 2017
Math
59.0%
AZ avg 37.8% . -11.0pp since 2017
What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 61 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 59 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Arizona schools, those numbers are about 45 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 6 points since 2017, while math scores are down about 11 points.
AASA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 61.0% | 59.0% |
| 2023-24 | 59.0% | 62.0% |
| 2022-23 | 60.0% | 63.0% |
| 2021-22 | 58.0% | 59.0% |
| 2020-21 | 54.0% | 58.0% |
| 2018-19 | 62.0% | 71.0% |
| 2017-18 | 67.0% | 70.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Explorer Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Arizona | In Maricopa County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 59.0% | #7 of 190 ▼ 4 | #7 of 87 ▼ 4 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 61.0% | #20 of 190 ▼ 4 | #15 of 87 ▼ 4 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.5pp | #61 of 160 | #31 of 78 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 607 | #79 of 214 | #52 of 96 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.6:1 | #111 of 179 | #54 of 85 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 37.3% | #134 of 182 | #72 of 86 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -28.4% | #40 of 139 | #20 of 69 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
607
-186 (-23%) vs 2020
-43% since 2000-01, when it was 1,060
Student : Teacher
19.6:1
was 21.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 607 | 31 | 19.6:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 641 | 30.1 | 21.3:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 678 | 34.8 | 19.5:1 | 6% (39) |
| 2020-21 | 793 | 37 | 21.4:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 848 | 37 | 22.9:1 | 5% (41) |
| 2015-16 | 932 | 37 | 25.2:1 | 5% (50) |
| 2010-11 | 929 | 38 | 24.4:1 | 10% (91) |
| 2000-01 | 1,060 | 46 | 23.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Explorer Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 28% (848 to 607); teachers down 16% (37 to 31).
About Explorer Middle School
Explorer Middle School runs as a mid-sized middle school in PHOENIX, Arizona. It has an enrollment of 607 students in grades 5 through 8. Across middle schools in Arizona, the average enrollment is about 494.
Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) counts 26,183 students in its 42 schools, and Explorer Middle School is one of them.
The share of White students at Explorer Middle School is 78%, a majority. The school is also 13% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, and 3% Asian. That is higher than the 59% White share among all Maricopa County residents. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 37%.
There are 31 full-time-equivalent teachers at Explorer Middle School, giving a ratio of 19.6:1. Middle schools in Arizona have an average ratio of 17.8:1.
Looking at the county, Maricopa County, median household income comes to about $89,300, about 37% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 8% of residents are in poverty. The county has 1,352 public schools and about 725,139 students.
Among nearby public schools, Desert Trails Elementary School is closest at about 0.4 miles. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8.
In the federal locale system, Explorer Middle School is coded City: Large, for schools inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
The school's student count decreased 23% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years. The school's ratio dropped from 21.4:1 to 19.6:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
The Explorer Middle School discussion page is a place for open houses, carpools, and field trips. You can also rate the school on this page.
Maricopa County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
4,559,748
Census ACS
Median income
$89,300
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
1,352
725,139 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)
- Pinnacle High SchoolHigh · 2,430 students
- Paradise Valley High SchoolHigh · 1,900 students
- Horizon High SchoolHigh · 1,767 students
- North Canyon High SchoolHigh · 1,560 students
- Shadow Mountain High SchoolHigh · 1,080 students
- Mountain Trail Middle SchoolMiddle · 835 students
Other schools in PHOENIX
- Arizona Virtual AcademyCombined · 4,476 students
- Trevor Browne High SchoolHigh · 2,850 students
- Desert Vista High SchoolHigh · 2,761 students
- Maryvale High SchoolHigh · 2,532 students
- Pinnacle High SchoolHigh · 2,430 students
- Sunnyslope High SchoolHigh · 2,322 students
Other Explorer Middle schools
One other US public school is named Explorer Middle. Explorer Middle School is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Explorer Middle SchoolEverett, WA · 777 students
Nearby schools
- Desert Trails Elementary School0.4 mi · 590
- Wildfire Elementary School0.4 mi · 394
- Fireside Elementary School1.0 mi · 693
- Pinnacle High School1.4 mi · 2,430
- Sky Crossing Elementary School1.4 mi · 628
- Quail Run Elementary School2.3 mi · 533
Frequently asked questions
About Explorer Middle SchoolHow many students attend Explorer Middle School?
Explorer Middle School enrolls approximately 607 students in grades 05-08.
Is Explorer Middle School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Explorer Middle School is a middle school covering grades 05-08.
How many students per teacher at Explorer Middle School?
Approximately 19.6:1 students per teacher at Explorer Middle School.
How diverse is Explorer Middle School?
Explorer Middle School reports a student body of 78% White, 13% Hispanic, 1% Black, 3% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees Explorer Middle School?
Explorer Middle School is overseen by Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) in Maricopa County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.