PHX Reporter

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.

WalletHub claimed Arizona’s school system ranked among the worst across U.S. for class size, performance, funding, safety, and instructors’ credentials.

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.

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