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Best kept secret on campus at RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
545
Middle
DISTRICT 478 · STATE 494
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CARTWRIGHT ELEMENTARY DISTRICT (4282)·NCES 040168002904
RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS
2730 N 79TH AVE, PHOENIX, AZ 85035 · (623) 691-5300 · Maricopa County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE11-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL545 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
22.5:1
24 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 19.4:1 · STATE 17.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 95%
Community
3
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. 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
23.0%
AZ avg 45.4% . +21.0pp since 2017
What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 23 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level. The Arizona average is about 45 of 100. Reading and writing scores are up about 21 points since 2017.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
545
-310 (-36%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
22.5:1
was 20.9:1
% White
3%
was 4%
% Hispanic
85%
was 88%
% Black
10%
was 5%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS
As a medium-sized middle school in PHOENIX, Arizona, RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS teaches 545 students from grades 6 through 8, run under Cartwright Elementary District (4282).
Within Cartwright Elementary District (4282), which oversees 22 schools and 13,436 students, RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS is one campus in the system.
On the student-mix side, RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS records that 85% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. Beyond that, the school reports 10% Black, 3% White. By comparison, Maricopa County as a whole is about 31% Hispanic, so the school skews noticeably more Hispanic than its surroundings.
In terms of school funding signals, The school employs 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 22.5:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 17.8:1 average.
In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Maricopa County) reports that median household income runs about $89,300, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. In all, Maricopa County runs 1352 public schools (combined enrollment of about 725,139 students), of which RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS is one.
Nearest neighbor: Manuel Pena Jr. School, around 0.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.
RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS operates from a city-core location.
Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 36%: 855 students in 2018 compared to 545 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 5% to 10% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio widened from 20.9:1 in 2018 to 22.5:1 today.
In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.
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 Cartwright Elementary District (4282)
- Frank Borman SchoolElementary · 960 students
- Charles W. Harris SchoolElementary · 875 students
- Peralta SchoolElementary · 817 students
- Manuel Pena Jr. SchoolElementary · 806 students
- Sunset SchoolElementary · 739 students
- Tomahawk SchoolElementary · 718 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
Nearby schools
- Manuel Pena Jr. School0.2 mi · 806
- Amberlea Elementary School0.6 mi · 457
- Starlight Park College Preparatory and Community School0.6 mi · 703
- Pan-American Charter School0.7 mi · 1,221
- Trevor Browne High School0.7 mi · 2,850
- Desert Horizon Elementary School1.0 mi · 690
Frequently asked questions
About RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTSHow large is RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS?
RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS enrolls approximately 545 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS serve?
RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS?
Approximately 22.5:1 students per teacher at RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.
How diverse is RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS?
RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS reports a student body of 3% White, 85% Hispanic, 10% Black, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS?
RAUL H. CASTRO MIDDLE SCHOOL: ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS is overseen by Cartwright Elementary District (4282) in Maricopa County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.