Butterfield Elementary School: Profile, Programs, and ADE Data

By James Sanson, REALTOR. Licensed Arizona REALTOR since August 2002. Maricopa specialist since 2004. 1,000+ closings. See about James Sanson and the team.

Published 2026-05-22. Last reviewed 2026-05-22. Every fact on this page cites a primary source.

Quick answer

Butterfield Elementary School is a preschool-through-grade-5 STEAM academy in the Maricopa Unified School District, located within the Villages at Rancho El Dorado community at 43800 W. Honeycutt Road. Led by Principal Janel Hildick, the school enrolled 916 students, according to the 2025 Arizona Department of Education report card, and earned a C letter grade for 2025 (66.69 percent). The school uses project-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) instruction and offers full-day kindergarten, a gifted program, a fifth-grade advanced math class, orchestra, theater, and a first-grade swimming program. Call 520-838-8037 if you are researching homes in Villages at Rancho El Dorado or the Butterfield attendance area.

On this page

1. School at a glance
2. 2025 A-F letter grade
3. Enrollment and demographics
4. Programs and academic focus
5. Awards and recognitions
6. Teacher qualifications
7. School finance and improvement funds
8. Feeder pattern and zoning
9. Location in Villages at Rancho El Dorado

School at a glance

The verified fact table below is drawn from the official 2025 Arizona Department of Education report card for Butterfield Elementary School (azreportcards.azed.gov) and the school's own description.

Per the school's mission statement, Butterfield Elementary School aims to provide and ensure a focus on the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) to prepare students for college and future careers. The school describes itself as a K-5 elementary school focused on fostering deeper learning through project-based learning across content areas, aligned with the district curriculum.

2025 A-F letter grade

Butterfield Elementary School received a C letter grade for 2025 per the Arizona Department of Education, earning a total of 66.69 percent under the K-8 accountability model (64.69 base points out of 100, plus 2 bonus points). The K-8 model breakdown is shown below.

For reference, the ADE K-8 model cut scores are:

Notable in the 2025 breakdown: Butterfield earned full points (10 of 10) on the EL Growth and Proficiency indicator, with 22 percent of English learners achieving English language proficiency on the AZELLA assessment. The school earned 36.99 of 50 growth points and 15.7 of 30 proficiency points. Acceleration Readiness was 2 of 10. The 2025 grade is a change from prior years; the school earned an A grade in the 2022-2023 ADE reporting period. Letter grades are published annually and can move year to year. For the current letter grade, verify directly at azreportcards.azed.gov.

Enrollment and demographics

Butterfield Elementary School enrolled 916 students, according to the 2025 Arizona Department of Education report card, making it one of the largest elementary enrollments in the district.

Butterfield holds Title I status, which means it receives federal funds to support students from low-income households per the federal Title I program.

Programs and academic focus

Butterfield Elementary School operates as a STEAM academy, delivering the curriculum through project-based learning that integrates Social Studies, Science, Math, and English Language Arts. Per ADE, programs and offerings include:

1. Full-day Kindergarten
2. Gifted Program
3. Fifth-grade Advanced Math Class
4. National Elementary Honor Society
5. School-Wide Intervention and Enrichment
6. Music and Arts: Art, Music (all K-5), Theater (grades 3-5), and Orchestra (fifth grade)
7. Sports: a first-grade swimming and water-safety program and a Running Club

After-school opportunities per ADE include National Elementary Honor Society, Theater, Orchestra, Running Club, the Copa Kids Before and After School Program, and math and reading tutoring for K-5 students, offered based on need and space, starting in third grade.

Campus facilities per ADE include an art room, cafeteria with onsite food service, a certified nurse, dedicated counselors, an early education activity/sensory room, enhanced security, a first aid/health center, a garden, a gymnasium, indoor air quality control, a kindergarten playground, a library, a music hall, a P.E. room, a technology lab, transportation, calming corners in classrooms, and a courtyard and outdoor patio. Call 520-838-8037 for help researching schools as part of a Villages at Rancho El Dorado home search.

Awards and recognitions

Per ADE, Butterfield Elementary School has listed the following recognitions:

1. Arizona School Rating of an "A" in a prior reporting period. The school earned an A grade in the 2022-2023 ADE reporting period and a C grade for 2025. Verify the current grade at azreportcards.azed.gov.
2. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Merit Award, recognizing the school's PBIS implementation.

Teacher qualifications

Per the 2025 ADE report card, teacher qualification data for Butterfield Elementary School:

1. Appropriately certified teachers: 39 of 44 (88.64 percent)
2. Teaching out of field: 5 of 44 (11.36 percent)
3. Emergency credentials: 0 of 44 (0.00 percent)
4. Experienced (3 or more years in position): 43 of 44 (97.73 percent)
5. Inexperienced (less than 3 years): 1 of 44 (2.27 percent)

The experienced-teacher rate of 97.73 percent is among the higher rates in the district per ADE reporting, and the school reported no teachers on emergency credentials for 2025.

School finance and improvement funds

Per the 2025 ADE report card, Butterfield Elementary School reported a total per-pupil expenditure of $11,849.94, broken down as follows:

The 2025 report card also notes that Butterfield received $143,081.67 in School Improvement Funds. Per ADE, School Improvement Funds are awarded through a competitive grant process under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to support student-achievement work. The reported strategy was "S3: Improving the effective use of instructional practices." Funding levels and improvement-grant status are published by ADE and the Arizona School Financial Transparency Portal at schoolspending.az.gov and can change year to year.

Feeder pattern and zoning

Butterfield Elementary School serves students in grades PK-5 within its MUSD attendance area, which includes the Villages at Rancho El Dorado community and surrounding addresses. The general continuation pattern is:

1. Elementary (PK-5): Butterfield Elementary School.
2. Middle school (6-8): MUSD middle school assignment is either Desert Wind Middle School or Maricopa Wells Middle School, depending on the specific address. The middle school assignment should be confirmed for any specific address.
3. High school (9-12): Villages at Rancho El Dorado is in the Maricopa High School attendance zone. MUSD's other traditional high school, Desert Sunrise High School, serves a separate area in the northeast part of the city. High school assignment depends on the specific address and the current boundary map.

Call 520-838-8037 for help interpreting how the MUSD school assignment applies to a specific address in Villages at Rancho El Dorado.

Verify your specific address. MUSD's school board approved a K-8 attendance boundary adjustment in December 2025, effective the 2026-2027 school year, which may change which school serves specific addresses. While students are initially assigned a default neighborhood school, Arizona law also allows families to use MUSD open enrollment to apply to any other MUSD school, subject to grade-level and program capacity. To confirm the current school assignment for a specific address, use the MUSD School Finder at musd20.org or contact the district office at (520) 568-5100.

For the broader district, see our MUSD overview and Maricopa schools hub. For another MUSD elementary profile, see our Pima Butte Elementary profile.

Location in Villages at Rancho El Dorado

Butterfield Elementary School is located inside the Villages at Rancho El Dorado community at 43800 W. Honeycutt Road, east of John Wayne Parkway. Villages at Rancho El Dorado is one of a small number of Maricopa communities with a public elementary school located within the community boundary, along with two community swimming pools, a fitness center, a clubhouse, a splash pad, a lake, playgrounds, and tennis and basketball courts.

For families with elementary-age children, short-drive or walking-distance access to an on-site elementary school is one factor among many in a home purchase decision. We present the school's data and let families weigh it against their own priorities.

For details on the Villages at Rancho El Dorado community, including HOA, amenities, and home pricing, see our Villages at Rancho El Dorado community page. For the full Maricopa neighborhood directory, see our Maricopa neighborhoods directory.

Call 520-838-8037 to talk through how Butterfield school zoning applies to specific Villages at Rancho El Dorado addresses you are considering, or to any Maricopa home you are considering buying or selling.

James Sanson | Real Broker LLC | Licensed in Arizona