Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)

This page covers 9 middle schools in Paradise Valley Unified District (4241). Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

9
Schools Ranked
Arizona
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 9 of 9
1
rank
Sunrise Middle School
Grades 07–08433 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
56
/100
Student:Teacher
14.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
31%
Low economic need
2
rank
Shea Middle School
Grades 05–08511 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
56
/100
Student:Teacher
14.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
37%
Low economic need
3
rank
Explorer Middle School
Grades 07–08678 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
55
/100
Student:Teacher
19.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
6%
Low economic need
4
rank
Desert Shadows Middle School
Grades 06–08780 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
20.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
7%
Low economic need
5
rank
Mountain Trail Middle School
Grades 07–08680 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
52
/100
Student:Teacher
19.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
24%
Low economic need
6
rank
Echo Mountain Intermediate School
Grades 04–06361 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
15.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
76%
High economic need
7
rank
Vista Verde Middle School
Grades 07–08544 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
46
/100
Student:Teacher
15.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
42/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
71%
High economic need
8
rank
Greenway Middle School
Grades 07–08419 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
16.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
42/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
74%
High economic need
9
rank
Palomino Intermediate School
Grades 04–06435 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
15.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
42/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,378
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
82%
High economic need
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
9
Middle Schools
45
Total Schools
56
#1 Score
50
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Compare Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.