Glendale Union High School District (4285)

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.

Glendale, Arizona - 11 schools

An equity score of 33/100 ranks Glendale Union High School District (4285) #227 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,022 per pupil, Glendale Union High School District (4285) ranks #387 of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

16,535
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$10,022
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Glendale Union High School District (4285) operates 11 public schools serving 16,535 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 high 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 Maricopa County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,022 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arizona compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.6% local, 49.0% state, and 15.4% 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 33/100, ranked #227 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 9 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (138 AP courses district-wide), a 420.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 48.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 61.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% White, 8.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Greenway High School, with a diversity index of 64.5/100.

Its largest campus is Sunnyslope High School, enrolling 2,322 students (14% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Glendale Union Online, at 285 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Glendale Union High School District (4285) school enrollment varies 8.1× across entities

Glendale Union High School District (4285) school enrollment ranges from 285 students (lowest) to 2,322 students (highest), a spread of 2,037 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

Glendale Union High School District (4285) student-counselor ratio is 420:1 — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Glendale Union High School District (4285) chronic absenteeism rate is 48.3% — 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?

15.4%
Federal
49.0%
State
35.6%
Local

Funding Equity

33
Equity Score
227 / 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 11 schools in Glendale Union High School District (4285).

White 19.8%
Hispanic or Latino 61.7%
African American 8.8%
Asian 3.6%
Multiracial 3.4%
Other 2.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 54.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Glendale Union High School District (4285)'s schools, above the Arizona average of 47.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Greenway High School 64.5
  2. 2 Thunderbird High School 63.9
  3. 3 Moon Valley High School 62.2
  4. 4 Glendale Union Online 61.5
  5. 5 Cortez High School 58.2

Programs & Resources

9 / 11
Schools with AP
138 AP courses total
420.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
48.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Glendale Union High School District (4285)

School Enrollment
Sunnyslope High School
2,322
Apollo High School
2,152
Independence High School
1,907
Glendale High School
1,734
Washington High School
1,659
Thunderbird High School
1,592
Moon Valley High School
1,471
Greenway High School
1,318
Cortez High School
1,132
Glendale Union High School District Online Learning Academy
468
Glendale Union Online
285

How Glendale Union High School District (4285) Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arizona districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Sunnyside Unified District (4407) Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Vail Unified District (4413) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Kyrene Elementary District (4267) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Cartwright Elementary District (4282) Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Queen Creek Unified District (4245) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Glendale Union High School District (4285)'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.

Compare Glendale Union High School District (4285)

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 Glendale Union High School District (4285)?

Glendale Union High School District (4285) has 11 schools, including 11 high. Total enrollment is 16,535 students.

How much does Glendale Union High School District (4285) spend per student?

Glendale Union High School District (4285) spends $10,022 per student. The district has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #227 in Arizona.

What is the demographic composition of Glendale Union High School District (4285)?

Glendale Union High School District (4285) students are 61.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% White, 8.8% African American, 3.6% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Glendale Union High School District (4285)?

Glendale Union High School District (4285) has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #227 out of 437 districts in Arizona.