SE Valley Times

Of the many ethnicities represented in Arizona districts, the most prevalent among students enrolled in Maricopa County districts in the 2021-22 school year was Latino, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Of the 756,508 students attending school districts within Maricopa County, 45.8% were Latino. White students were the second largest ethnicity in Maricopa County districts (36.9%).

In the previous school year, Latino students still were the most common group in Maricopa County districts, representing 44.2% of the student body.

Union Elementary District had the most even distribution of races among county districts, which included 40.1% white students, 31.2% Latino students, 9.7% African American students, 9.6% Multi-racial or non-Hispanic students, 5% Asian students, 4% American Indian or Alaskan Native students, and 0.4% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students.

In the 2021-22 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county increased 1.3% when compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Maricopa County.

A 2023 study from Scholaroo.com ranked Arizona last out of all U.S. states in terms of educational success, giving the state poor markets for school quality, student success, and teacher-to-student ratio.

In 2022 Arizona had roughly one teacher for every 19 students, compared to the national average of one teacher for 16 students. Teachers handling a higher number of students was found to have negative consequences for students’ school performance.

District	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Aguila Elementary District	Latino	94.6%	129
Cave Creek Unified District	White	79.6%	4,846
Chandler Unified District #80	White	48.3%	43,806
Creighton Elementary District	Latino	83.9%	5,285
Deer Valley Unified District	White	65.4%	33,303
Dysart Unified District	Latino	42.2%	23,528
Fountain Hills Unified District	White	60.9%	1,286
Gila Bend Unified District	Latino	64.9%	453
Gilbert Unified District	White	58.6%	33,644
Higley Unified School District	White	62.2%	13,154
Isaac Elementary District	Latino	93.4%	5,245
Liberty Elementary District	Latino	55.4%	4,228
Mesa Unified District	Latino	46%	58,595
Morristown Elementary District	White	68.9%	135
Murphy Elementary District	Latino	89.5%	1,271
Nadaburg Unified School District	White	56.8%	992
Osborn Elementary District	Latino	61.2%	2,631
Paloma School District	Latino	84.3%	115
Paradise Valley Unified District	White	53.1%	28,651
Phoenix Elementary District	Latino	78%	5,384
Riverside Elementary District	Latino	73.7%	803
Saddle Mountain Unified School District	Latino	56.6%	2,845
Scottsdale Unified District	White	62.2%	21,399
Tempe School District	Latino	51.8%	11,039
Tolleson Elementary District	Latino	81.9%	2,850
Washington Elementary School District	Latino	55.4%	19,753
Wilson Elementary District	Latino	85.4%	1,065
Agua Fria Union High School District	Latino	49.4%	9,198
Alhambra Elementary District	Latino	77.8%	10,219
Arlington Elementary District	Latino	62.7%	271
Avondale Elementary District	Latino	66.3%	5,775
Balsz Elementary District	Latino	60.9%	2,255
Buckeye Elementary District	Latino	63%	5,682
Buckeye Union High School District	Latino	58.6%	5,156
Cartwright Elementary District	Latino	89.2%	14,817
Fowler Elementary District	Latino	82.1%	3,733
Glendale Elementary District	Latino	71.6%	9,889
Glendale Union High School District	Latino	60.5%	16,657
Kyrene Elementary District	White	40.1%	15,112
Litchfield Elementary District	Latino	44.8%	10,877
Madison Elementary District	White	45.2%	5,780
Pendergast Elementary District	Latino	74.7%	7,991
Phoenix Union High School District	Latino	81.3%	27,730
Roosevelt Elementary District	Latino	81.8%	7,305
Tempe Union High School District	Latino	40.1%	12,947
Tolleson Union High School District	Latino	78.6%	13,283
Union Elementary District	Latino	72.7%	1,698