Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Mesa Unified District (4235)

This page covers 10 middle schools in Mesa Unified District (4235). 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.

10
Schools Ranked
Arizona
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 10
1
rank
Franklin Junior High School
Grades 07–08269 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
56
/100
Student:Teacher
14.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
25%
Low economic need
2
rank
Stapley Junior High School
Grades 07–08978 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
19.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
25%
Low economic need
3
rank
Shepherd Junior High School
Grades 04–08603 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
17.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
35%
Low economic need
4
rank
Fremont Junior High School
Grades 07–08984 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
48
/100
Student:Teacher
17.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
45%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
Smith Junior High School
Grades 07–08841 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
48
/100
Student:Teacher
16.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
56%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Rhodes Junior High School
Grades 07–09679 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
16.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
49/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
68%
High economic need
7
rank
Poston Junior High School
Grades 07–08881 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
45
/100
Student:Teacher
18.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
59%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
Taylor Junior High School
Grades 07–08995 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
45
/100
Student:Teacher
17.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
63%
Near nat'l 52.2%
9
rank
Carson Junior High School
Grades 07–081,062 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
41
/100
Student:Teacher
19.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
70%
High economic need
10
rank
Kino Junior High School
Grades 07–08914 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
38
/100
Student:Teacher
16.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
28/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,766
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
78%
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
10
Middle Schools
78
Total Schools
56
#1 Score
47
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
Compare Mesa Unified District (4235) 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.