Saddleback 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

Saddleback Elementary School is a preschool-through-grade-5 school in the Maricopa Unified School District, located at 18600 N. Porter Road on the east side of Maricopa. Led by Principal Marchelle Hasan, the school enrolled 805 students, according to the 2025 Arizona Department of Education report card, and earned a C letter grade for 2025 (69.23 percent). Its stated focus is 21st-century learning strategies that keep students engaged, with full-day kindergarten and preschool offered. Call 520-838-8037 if you are researching homes in the Saddleback attendance area.

On this page

1. School at a glance
2. A note on grade span
3. 2025 A-F letter grade
4. Enrollment and demographics
5. Programs and academic focus
6. Teacher qualifications
7. School finance and improvement funds
8. Feeder pattern and zoning
9. Location on Porter Road

School at a glance

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

Per the school's mission statement, Saddleback Elementary School focuses on 21st-century learning strategies that keep students highly engaged, ensuring the academic success of all. The mascot is the Coyotes, per James Sanson's team field verification.

A note on grade span

The 2025 ADE report card lists Saddleback Elementary School as serving preschool through grade 5. Some MUSD directory listings have listed Saddleback as a preschool-through-grade-6 school. Grade spans can change between reporting periods, and MUSD's December 2025 board-approved K-8 boundary adjustment, effective the 2026-2027 school year, may affect grade configuration at some campuses. Lead with the ADE report card grade span shown above and verify the current grade span for a specific year directly with MUSD at musd20.org or (520) 568-5100.

2025 A-F letter grade

Saddleback Elementary School received a C letter grade for 2025 per the Arizona Department of Education, earning a total of 69.23 percent under the K-8 accountability model (67.23 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: Saddleback earned full points (10 of 10) on the EL Growth and Proficiency indicator, with 20 percent of English learners achieving English language proficiency on the AZELLA assessment. The school earned 37.53 of 50 growth points, 13.7 of 30 proficiency points, and 6 of 10 acceleration readiness points. Letter grades are published annually and can move year to year. For the current letter grade, verify directly at azreportcards.azed.gov. Call 520-838-8037 for help interpreting how school data applies to a specific Maricopa home you are considering.

Enrollment and demographics

Saddleback Elementary School enrolled 805 students, according to the 2025 Arizona Department of Education report card.

Saddleback holds Title I status, which means it receives federal funds to support students from low-income households per the federal Title I program. Per the 2025 ADE data, the school's Native American enrollment share of 8.20 percent is higher than at most other MUSD elementary campuses.

Programs and academic focus

Saddleback Elementary School describes its focus as 21st-century learning strategies that keep students highly engaged. The 2025 ADE report card lists the following academic offerings:

1. Preschool (early education)
2. Full-day Kindergarten

The 2025 report card did not list specific sports, music, and arts, or after-school programs for Saddleback, so none are stated here. For current program offerings, contact the school directly at (520) 568-6110.

Campus facilities per the 2025 ADE report card include a cafeteria with on-site food service, a certified nurse, dedicated counselors, an early education activity/sensory room, a first aid/health center, a gymnasium, indoor air quality control, a kindergarten playground, a library, a music hall, a technology lab, and transportation. Call 520-838-8037 for help researching schools as part of a Maricopa home search.

Teacher qualifications

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

1. Appropriately certified teachers: 34 (89.47 percent)
2. Teaching out of field: 3 (7.89 percent)
3. Emergency credentials: 1 (2.63 percent)
4. Experienced (3 or more years in position): 33 (84.62 percent)
5. Inexperienced (less than 3 years): 6 (15.38 percent)

ADE reports experience figures for teachers, principals, and school leaders, and certification figures for teachers, which is why the two sets use slightly different totals.

School finance and improvement funds

Per the 2025 ADE report card, Saddleback Elementary School reported a total per-pupil expenditure of $13,659.40, broken down as follows:

The 2025 report card also notes that Saddleback received $120,288.43 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 strategies were "S2: Improving the effective use of assessment," "S3: Improving the effective use of instructional practices," and "S6: Improving the effective use of data." 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

Saddleback Elementary School serves students in grades PK-5 in its MUSD attendance area on the east side of Maricopa. The general continuation pattern is:

1. Elementary (PK-5): Saddleback 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.
3. High school (9-12): MUSD operates two traditional high schools, Maricopa High School and Desert Sunrise High School. High school assignment depends on the specific address and the current boundary map.

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 other MUSD elementary profiles, see our Butterfield Elementary profile and Pima Butte Elementary profile.

Location on Porter Road

Saddleback Elementary School is located at 18600 N. Porter Road on the east side of Maricopa, along a corridor that includes several other schools. The Smith Farms (Desert Passage) community is among the nearby neighborhoods, per our community research.

For families with elementary-age children, proximity to an assigned 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, in keeping with the Arizona Department of Real Estate and federal Fair Housing guidance.

For a nearby community profile including HOA, amenities, and home pricing, see our Smith Farms (Desert Passage) community page. For the full Maricopa neighborhood directory, see our Maricopa neighborhoods directory.

Call 520-838-8037 to talk through how Saddleback school zoning applies to specific east-Maricopa addresses you are considering, or to any Maricopa home you are considering buying or selling.

James Sanson | Real Broker LLC | Licensed in Arizona