3935 E Rough Rider Road Unit 1144, Phoenix
(602) 483-4665
DeLex Realty
Explorer Middle School is a Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVSchools) middle school for grades 7 and 8 at 22401 N. 40th Street in north Phoenix, just north of Deer Valley Road. Its students go on to Pinnacle High School.
I'm Terry Day with DeLex Realty. Buyers moving to north Phoenix often start with a school name and work outward from there. This page covers the basics about Explorer from the school's and district's own websites, how enrollment and boundaries work, and the homes for sale where listings name Explorer as the middle school.
See homes near Explorer Middle School Call Terry: 602-483-4665
Explorer sits on 40th Street just north of Deer Valley Road in the 85050 ZIP code of north Phoenix. The school office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on school days.
Explorer opened in 1997 and serves seventh and eighth graders. The school describes its goal as a place where every student feels safe, known and cared for, and it sums up its mission with four words: engage, empower, explore and experience. Students each have a school device, and the school is accredited through Cognia.
Electives. The school lists a wide range of electives. Career and technical choices include yearbook, family and consumer sciences, advanced culinary arts and digital media. Visual art has beginning and advanced classes, and performing arts include drama, choir, stagecraft, guitar, strings, band and piano.
World language and other programs. Spanish is offered at the introductory level and as Spanish I and II; the school notes these classes do not earn high school credit. The academics pages also list STEAM, language acquisition, special education and counseling.
Student life. Explorer uses a schoolwide positive behavior program called "Ride with P.R.I.D.E." Clubs include National Junior Honor Society, Student Government, Peer Ambassadors, Future Leaders of America, Cinema Club, Drama Club and Chew Crew. Sports are fee-based intramurals: basketball, track, passing-league football and wrestling for boys, and softball, track, volleyball and basketball for girls.
PVSchools has two kinds of enrollment. Traditional enrollment is for students who live inside the school's boundary. New families fill out the district forms, then register online through the district's Infinite Campus system; the district help line is 602-449-2000.
Open enrollment is for students who live outside the district or outside that school's boundary. Only schools with space accept open enrollment, and full schools keep a waitlist. The district gives priority to groups such as current PVSchools students, children of employees and siblings, uses a lottery when priority applicants outnumber seats, and otherwise goes by application date. Families are responsible for transportation for open-enrolled students. The district posts each school's open enrollment capacity on its website, so check that page for Explorer's current status.
To find the assigned schools for an address, use the interactive boundary map on the PVSchools enrollment page. PVSchools updated boundaries for the 2024-25 school year after closing some schools, so older listing data may be out of date. Always confirm boundaries with the district for the exact address; buying a home near a school does not guarantee assignment to it.
Official PVSchools pages say Wildfire Elementary feeds into Explorer, and Sky Crossing Elementary feeds into either Explorer or Mountain Trail depending on the address. Pinnacle High School says its incoming freshmen come from Explorer and Mountain Trail.
Homes in the Explorer area are mostly in north Phoenix's 85050 and nearby ZIP codes. My guide to Desert Ridge homes for sale covers the master-planned area to the south, where Pinnacle High School is located, and my Phoenix city guide covers the wider city. Check the district map for any specific street before you rely on a school assignment.
The button below shows the newest homes for sale where the MLS listing names Explorer as the middle school. Listing data is entered by agents and is not always complete, so I confirm the school for every home we look at.
See homes near Explorer Middle School
Comparing schools nearby? See my pages for Pinnacle High School, Mountain Trail Middle School and the Paradise Valley Unified School District, or browse my homes by school page. Some homes in the area have FHA or VA loans a qualified buyer may be able to assume; see my assumable mortgage page.
What grades does Explorer Middle School serve?
Explorer serves grades 7 and 8. Elementary schools in the area, such as Wildfire, go through grade 6.
What high school do Explorer students attend?
Explorer students go on to Pinnacle High School, according to Pinnacle's own website. Confirm the high school for a specific address with PVSchools.
How do I find out if a home is in the Explorer boundary?
Use the interactive boundary map on the PVSchools enrollment page or call the district at 602-449-2000. Boundaries were updated for 2024-25, so I always check the current map for the exact address.
Can my student attend Explorer if we live outside the boundary?
Possibly, through PVSchools open enrollment, but only if the school has space. The district posts open enrollment capacity on its website, priority groups apply, and families provide their own transportation.
School details come from the Explorer Middle School and PVSchools websites and can change. I do not rate or rank schools. Confirm school assignment and enrollment with the district for any address.
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