Pinal Today

There were 4,210 African American students enrolled in Pinal County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 5.5% increase over the 3,992 African American students in the previous school year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Data showed that Pinal County welcomed 55,459 students at the time. Among them, African American students made up 7.6% of the student body making them the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 92 schools in Pinal County, Maricopa High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 287 students, making up 14% of the school's total student body.

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.

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

Some data provided by the Arizona Department of Education may be incomplete due to the Family and Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

School name	% of African American Students	Total Enrollment
Maricopa High School	14%	2,056
Casa Grande Union High School	4.3%	1,972
Vista Grande High School	3.9%	1,939
Eduprize School	2.9%	1,749
Legacy Traditional School - Casa Grande	5.5%	1,525
Poston Butte High School	8.6%	1,422
Legacy Traditional School - Maricopa	16.1%	1,308
Combs High School	4.4%	1,241
American Leadership Academy Anthem South Campus	6%	1,049
Legacy Traditional School - Queen Creek	2.6%	935
Maricopa Wells Middle School	16.4%	906
Desert Wind Middle School	20.1%	905
Butterfield Elementary School	14.2%	860
Santa Cruz Elementary School	17.6%	852
Maricopa Elementary School	13.2%	850
Florence High School	7.2%	842
Arizona City Elementary School	7.3%	831
The Grande Innovation	2.3%	829
Leading Edge Academy Maricopa	15.6%	822
San Tan Foothills High School	8.7%	801
Walker Butte K-8	8.9%	762
Florence K-8	3.4%	758
Villago Middle School	6.2%	755
Cactus Middle School	6%	750
Circle Cross K8 STEM Academy	5.3%	738
Saddleback Elementary School	11.6%	723
San Tan Heights Elementary	8.7%	712
Anthem Elementary School	5.5%	704
American Leadership Academy San Tan Valley K-6	6.8%	688
Coolidge High School	11.5%	685
McCartney Ranch Elementary School	4.3%	680
Casa Grande Middle School	8.3%	675
Cactus Canyon Junior High	2.4%	631
Coolidge Junior High School	9.7%	627
J.O. Combs Middle School	3.8%	600
West Elementary School	10.7%	597
Skyline Ranch Elementary School	7.2%	585
Ellsworth Elementary School	4.6%	560
Copper Basin	6.3%	553
Heartland Ranch Elementary School	10.1%	552
Palo Verde School	8%	547
Santa Rosa Elementary School	17.3%	537
Magma Ranch K8 School	3.8%	530
Desert Vista Elementary School	3.4%	506
Ironwood School	6.4%	499
Saguaro Elementary School	5.4%	481
Cottonwood Elementary School	9%	478
Desert Willow Elementary School	5.4%	464
Cholla Elementary School	6.2%	455
Mesquite Elementary School	7.4%	447
Red Rock Elementary School	5.5%	439
Imagine Preparatory Coolidge	8.6%	431
Toltec Elementary School	5.2%	426
Pima Butte Elementary School	10.6%	417
Kathryn Sue Simonton Elementary	3.4%	386
Jack Harmon Elementary School	4.9%	385
Santa Cruz Valley Union High School	7%	383
Leading Edge Academy Mountain View	8%	312
ASU Preparatory Academy - Casa Grande HS	8.6%	267
Eloy Intermediate School	10.4%	250
Eloy Junior High School	8.1%	246
Florence Virtual Academy	14.3%	182
Coolidge Alternative Program	11.7%	179
Mountain Vista Academy	11.7%	171