Cartwright Elementary District (4282)

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Phoenix, Arizona - 23 schools

An equity score of 51/100 ranks Cartwright Elementary District (4282) #117 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,851 per pupil, Cartwright Elementary District (4282) ranks #243 of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

14,338
Total Enrollment
23
Schools
$11,851
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) operates 23 public schools serving 14,338 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 18 combined, 4 middle, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Maricopa County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,851 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arizona compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 16.7% local, 42.2% state, and 41.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 51/100, ranked #117 of 437 in Arizona against a state average of 38, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 625.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 55.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% African American, 2.6% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Manuel Pena Jr. School, with a diversity index of 32.9/100.

Its largest campus is Frank Borman School, enrolling 960 students (7% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Byron a. Barry School, at 68 students, a 14x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) school enrollment varies 14× across entities

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) school enrollment ranges from 68 students (lowest) to 960 students (highest), a spread of 892 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 61.6% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) student-counselor ratio is 625:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) chronic absenteeism rate is 55.9% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

41.1%
Federal
42.2%
State
16.7%
Local

Funding Equity

51
Equity Score
117 / 437
State Rank
38
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 23 schools in Cartwright Elementary District (4282).

White 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 90.0%
African American 5.2%
Multiracial 0.9%
Other 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 18.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Cartwright Elementary District (4282)'s schools, below the Arizona average of 47.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Manuel Pena Jr. School 32.9
  2. 2 Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts 26.6
  3. 3 Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism 25.7
  4. 4 Heatherbrae School 25.5
  5. 5 Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy 21.6

Programs & Resources

625.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
55.9%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Cartwright Elementary District (4282)

School Enrollment
Frank Borman School
960
Charles W. Harris School
875
Peralta School
817
Manuel Pena Jr. School
806
Sunset School
739
Tomahawk School
718
Starlight Park College Preparatory and Community School
703
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy
684
Cartwright School
670
Justine Spitalny Ste3am School
667
Estrella Middle School
650
John F. Long
641
G. Frank Davidson
629
Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy
617
Heatherbrae School
607
Palm Lane
602
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts
545
Holiday Park School
530
Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism
510
Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy
205
Cartwright Early Childhood Center
193
Cartwright Virtual Academy
130
Byron a. Barry School
68

How Cartwright Elementary District (4282) Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arizona districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Kyrene Elementary District (4267) Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Vail Unified District (4413) Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Sunnyside Unified District (4407) Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Queen Creek Unified District (4245) Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Tolleson Union High School District (4288) Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Cartwright Elementary District (4282)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Arizona

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Compare Cartwright Elementary District (4282)

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Compare vs Mesa Unified District (4235) →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Cartwright Elementary District (4282)?

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) has 23 schools, including 18 combined, 4 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 14,338 students.

How much does Cartwright Elementary District (4282) spend per student?

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) spends $11,851 per student. The district has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #117 in Arizona.

What is the demographic composition of Cartwright Elementary District (4282)?

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) students are 90.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% African American, 2.6% White, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 23 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Cartwright Elementary District (4282)?

Cartwright Elementary District (4282) has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #117 out of 437 districts in Arizona.