Gadsden Elementary District (4505)

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

San Luis, Arizona - 9 schools

An equity score of 39/100 ranks Gadsden Elementary District (4505) #189 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,364 per pupil, Gadsden Elementary District (4505) ranks #432 of 633 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,133
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$10,364
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) operates 9 public schools serving 5,133 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 2 middle, 2 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Yuma County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,364 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 633 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arizona compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 11.0% local, 60.7% state, and 28.3% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 39/100, ranked #189 of 437 in Arizona against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 437.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 46.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 99.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% White, 0.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Rio Colorado Elementary School, with a diversity index of 3.7/100.

Its largest campus is Cesar Chavez Elementary, enrolling 766 students (15% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is San Luis Pre-School, at 176 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) school enrollment varies 4.4× across entities

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) school enrollment ranges from 176 students (lowest) to 766 students (highest), a spread of 590 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) reports 81.8% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) student-counselor ratio is 437:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) chronic absenteeism rate is 46.5% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

28.3%
Federal
60.7%
State
11.0%
Local

Funding Equity

39
Equity Score
189 / 437
State Rank
38
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Gadsden Elementary District (4505).

White 0.6%
Hispanic or Latino 99.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 1.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Gadsden Elementary District (4505)'s schools, below the Arizona average of 47.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Rio Colorado Elementary School 3.7
  2. 2 Cesar Chavez Elementary 2.4
  3. 3 Arizona Desert Elementary School 1.8
  4. 4 San Luis Middle School 1.2
  5. 5 San Luis Pre-School 1.2

Programs & Resources

437.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
46.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Gadsden Elementary District (4505)

School Enrollment
Cesar Chavez Elementary
766
Desert View Elementary
760
Arizona Desert Elementary School
662
Southwest Jr. High School
652
Ed Pastor Elementary 4
646
San Luis Middle School
620
Rio Colorado Elementary School
523
Gadsden Elementary School
391
San Luis Pre-School
176

How Gadsden Elementary District (4505) Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arizona districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Isaac Elementary District (4259) Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Creighton Elementary District (4263) Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Phoenix Elementary District (4256) Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Leman Academy of Excellence Inc. (92730) Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Gadsden Elementary District (4505)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Arizona

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Gadsden Elementary District (4505)

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Mesa Unified District (4235) →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Gadsden Elementary District (4505)?

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) has 9 schools, including 5 elementary, 2 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 5,133 students.

How much does Gadsden Elementary District (4505) spend per student?

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) spends $10,364 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #189 in Arizona.

What is the demographic composition of Gadsden Elementary District (4505)?

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) students are 99.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% White, 0.1% African American, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Gadsden Elementary District (4505)?

Gadsden Elementary District (4505) has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #189 out of 437 districts in Arizona.