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Top 5 Elementary Schools in Phoenix

Top 5 Elementary Schools in Phoenix

How We Chose the Best Elementary Schools in Phoenix

School Credentials

We wanted to take a look at the achievements and recognitions these schools had. This just gives a better idea on how effective and efficient they are at educating young minds.

Facilities

We also considered the quality of facilities they had – whether they were clean, sufficient, and conducive to learning.

Programs Offered

It was also imperative for us to look into the programs offered by these schools. We think it’s important for children to learn more than just the basic educational instructions.

Safety

These days, safety shouldn’t be overlooked. We took into account how secure these schools were for the peace of mind of parents and students.

Staff Demeanor

It was also important for us to look into the attitude of their staff members. This is to make sure that both children and parents are being attended to and taken care of.

1.  Hopi Elementary School

Hopi Elementary School Homepage

Website: https://www.susd.org/hopi

Address: 5110 E Lafayette Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85018

Contact Number: (480) 484-2000

Business hours:

  • Monday to Friday 7:30AM–3PM
  • Saturday to Sunday CLOSED
Google Reviews 5/5
Facebook Reviews4/5
Yelp Reviews4/5
Total Reviews4/5
Score Consistency 5/5
School Credentials4/5
Facilities5/5
Programs Offered4/5
Safety4/5
Staff Demeanor5/5

Pros

  • Utilizes technology in the students’ education
  • Rates an above average in terms of test scores, academic progress, and equity
  • Newly-renovated facilities

Cons

  • Campus is relatively smaller
  • Tuition fees are on the pricier side

Hopi Elementary School has been around since 1960. This doesn’t limit their methods to traditional ways; in fact, they continue to evolve and use technology to both their and the students’ advantage.

Here, students utilize Chromebooks and iPads. While some people may frown upon the screen time, we think it’s productive to teach students the best technological practices as they will be inevitably using this in the future.

According to Great Schools, the test scores, academic progress, and equity at Hopi scores at an above average rating. This means that the students are making significant academic progress compared to other schools in the state.

Among their programs are self-contained comprehensive gifted programs, music, art, and physical education. Nothing particularly unique, but we like that they offer the Kids Club and Enrichment Zone extracurriculars.

They also recently changed principals, and are now under the tutelage of Principal Anne Plenkovich. She’s been an educator for more than two decades and we’ve heard that she’s very attentive to students.

It seems that a sense of belongingness is high on her priority list and makes an effort to make every student feel unique and welcome. 

As for the school itself, it’s newly-renovated but some parents still think it’s a bit small. They do get plus points for having proper facilities, though.

2.  Westwood Elementary School

Westwood Elementary School Homepage

Website: https://www.alhambraesd.org/wes

Address: 5110 E Lafayette Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85018

Contact Number: (480) 484-2000

Business hours:

  • Monday to Friday 7:30AM–3PM
  • Saturday to Sunday CLOSED
Google Reviews 4/5
Facebook Reviews5/5
Yelp Reviews5/5
Total Reviews4/5
Score Consistency 5/5
School Credentials3/5
Facilities5/5
Programs Offered5/5
Safety4/5
Staff Demeanor5/5

Pros

  • Offers a lot of academic clubs and programs
  • Homework is given purposefully 
  • Upholds distraction-free classrooms
  • Implements uniforms for everyone

Cons

  • Tuition fees are on the pricier side
  • Could be more transparent to parents on safety systems

Westwood Elementary School, in our opinion, is a diverse school that offers a lot of growth in academics and life skills.

They have several clubs and programs that students can join. There are the usual math and art clubs, as well as a sign language club.

What stood out to us was their Wonders core program, which inspires students to read intentionally and with the help of technology. We also love their Coding Club, which we don’t usually see in other elementary schools.

Another thing we like about their system is that homework is given purposefully and not as a means to discipline a child. As much as possible, it’s personalized to students and is given with the intent to further learning.

We like, too, that they emphasize having distraction-free classrooms. They value the time that kids come to class and make sure that they’re all engaged and learning during those hours.

They also have uniforms. While not all parents will agree, we do think uniforms help foster equality and, well, uniformity among everyone.

From what we’ve heard, the teaching staff here are very respectful to the students and their families. They’re also very attentive to the students’ needs and are helpful during instances when they’d need to understand certain lessons better.

3.  Ocotillo Elementary School

Ocotillo Elementary School Homepage

Website: https://www.wesdschools.org/oc

Address: 3225 W Ocotillo Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85017

Contact Number: (602) 347-2400

Business hours:

  • Monday to Tuesday 7:30AM–2:30PM
  • Wednesday 7:30AM–1PM
  • Thursday to Friday 7:30AM–2:30PM
  • Saturday to Sunday CLOSED
Google Reviews 4/5
Yelp Reviews3/5
Total Reviews4/5
Score Consistency 5/5
School Credentials5/5
Facilities3/5
Programs Offered5/5
Safety4/5
Staff Demeanor5/5

Pros

  • Received the A+ School of Excellence designation
  • Celebrates progress as much as academic success
  • Extensive list of programs and extracurricular activities offered
  • Transparent in showing the breakdown of the school budget

Cons

  • Could work on updating their facilities
  • Could improve on the quality of meals they serve, health-wise

Ocotillo Elementary School values academic diversity and growth – and it shows. 

They’ve received the A+ School of Excellence designation which means that they respond successfully to the changing landscape of education. It also entails that they cultivate a learning-centered and safe school environment.

It appears that while they celebrate academic achievement, they also foster progress. We really appreciate this as not all schools are as committed to their students’ “baby steps”, as we would say.

They have a really long list of programs and clubs offered. Students can take their pick among band, cheerleading, chess, computer club, and more.

We think this presents excellent opportunities for differentiated and enthusiastic learning. And, it hones potential hobbies or areas of specialized interest among students.

We also love how transparent this school is. On their website, there’s a clear breakdown of where their budget goes to.

While it’s not necessarily a requirement, we do like that parents are well-informed of where their childrens’ tuition fees are being spent.

An area we think they could work on is updating their facilities. We’ve heard that some classrooms are quite outdated.

Also, they could probably serve better breakfast and lunches. It seems that most parents would prefer that they serve healthier meals.

4.  David Crockett Elementary School

David Crockett Elementary School Homepage

Website: https://www.balsz.org/crockett

Address: 501 N 36th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008

Contact Number: (602) 629-6600

Business hours:

  • Monday to Friday 8AM–4PM
  • Saturday to Sunday CLOSED
Google Reviews 5/5
Great Schools Reviews5/5
Total Reviews4/5
Score Consistency 5/5
School Credentials5/5
Facilities3/5
Programs Offered5/5
Safety5/5
Staff Demeanor5/5

Pros

  • A+ School of Excellence-rated school 
  • Has a teacher retention rate of 80%
  • Provides calming strategies for students struggling with Adverse Childhood Experiences
  • Extensive list of after-school programs offered

Cons

  • Tuition fees are relatively higher
  • Campus is a bit small

Another A+ School of Excellence-rated school is David Crockett Elementary School. 

Apart from academic excellence, we love how they value relationship-building, not just among the students but among their staff as well. In fact, their teacher retention rate is at an impressive 80%. 

We think this sets a good precedent as it teaches respect and camaraderie. Moreover, students are able to get to know their teachers without the fear of impermanence.

Their principal, Sean Hannafin, also seems to be well-loved among the student and parent community. He’s been the school head for almost a decade now and was once nominated as Maricopa County’s Exemplary Principal.

The school also claims to be the first in Arizona to focus on providing calming strategies that support students struggling with Adverse Childhood Experiences. We think this is incredibly considerate of them, seeing as not a lot of schools offer this.

They also have an extensive list of after-school programs which include sports, leadership, service, and plain ‘ol fun. It’s good that students can immerse themselves in practically any interest they have.

5.  Acacia Elementary School

Acacia Elementary School Homepage

Website: https://www.wesdschools.org/ac

Address: 3021 W Evans Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85053

Contact Number: (602) 896-5000

Business hours:

  • Monday to Friday 7:45AM–4:15PM
  • Saturday to Sunday CLOSED
Google Reviews 5/5
Facebook Reviews5/5
Total Reviews5/5
Score Consistency 5/5
School Credentials5/5
Facilities3/5
Programs Offered4/5
Safety5/5
Staff Demeanor5/5

Pros

  • Arizona A+ School of Excellence recipient 
  • A National Title I Distinguished school
  • Uses the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports approach
  • Values safety and security
  • Maintains close relationships with parents

Cons

  • Facilities could use a refresh
  • Could improve on the list of extracurriculars offered

Acacia Elementary School is another Arizona A+ School of Excellence recipient and is a National Title I Distinguished school.

They accept students from kindergarten up to the sixth grade. And like all Washington District schools, they use the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports approach.

Mainly, this means that they’re proactive in meeting the behavioral support and social cultural needs of their students. This allows kids to better learn the social, emotional, and academic areas of education.

The school also maintains a close relationship with the parents. Apart from the Parent-Teacher Association, they regularly hold events and meetings to update the parents with their children’s progress.

We also love how they value safety and security. They employ strict security measures at every door and even have commuting guidelines up on their website.

From what we’ve heard, their teaching staff are considerate, kind, and helpful to students, especially ones with more needs than others. We like how they respect multiple intelligences and find the methods that work best with every student.

What we think they could improve on are their facilities and program offerings. Even though they have the usual math, science, and reading clubs, we still think they could offer more.

Other than that, we think they’re a great school and a lovely choice for you to consider.

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