J O Combs Unified School District (4445)

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.

San Tan Vly, Arizona - 10 schools

An equity score of 20/100 ranks J O Combs Unified School District (4445) #357 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $8,666 per pupil, J O Combs Unified School District (4445) ranks #529 of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,401
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$8,666
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) operates 10 public schools serving 4,401 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 combined, 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Pinal County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $8,666 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 32.0% local, 53.2% state, and 14.9% 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 20/100, ranked #357 of 437 in Arizona against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 354.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 49.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.0% White, 34.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Jack Harmon Elementary School, with a diversity index of 63.5/100.

Its largest campus is Combs High School, enrolling 1,182 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Combs Center for Success Middle School, at 4 students, a 296x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Combs High School accounts for 26.9% of all J O Combs Unified School District (4445) student enrollment

That concentration means J O Combs Unified School District (4445)-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

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

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) school enrollment varies 296× across entities

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) school enrollment ranges from 4 students (lowest) to 1,182 students (highest), a spread of 1,178 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) student-counselor ratio is 354:1 — 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

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) chronic absenteeism rate is 49.5% — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.9%
Federal
53.2%
State
32.0%
Local

Funding Equity

20
Equity Score
357 / 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 10 schools in J O Combs Unified School District (4445).

White 51.0%
Hispanic or Latino 34.6%
African American 6.6%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 4.7%
Other 2.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 58.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across J O Combs Unified School District (4445)'s schools, above the Arizona average of 47.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Jack Harmon Elementary School 63.5
  2. 2 Combs Center for Success High School 63.2
  3. 3 Ellsworth Elementary School 62.7
  4. 4 Kathryn Sue Simonton Elementary 61.2
  5. 5 Combs Online School for Success 61.1

Programs & Resources

354.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
49.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in J O Combs Unified School District (4445)

School Enrollment
Combs High School
1,182
J. O. Combs Middle School
581
Ellsworth Elementary School
516
Ranch Elementary School
509
Kathryn Sue Simonton Elementary
384
Jack Harmon Elementary School
382
Combs Traditional Academy
211
Combs Online School for Success
116
Combs Center for Success High School
49
Combs Center for Success Middle School
4

How J O Combs Unified School District (4445) Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arizona districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Liberty Elementary District (4266) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Cave Creek Unified District (4244) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Sierra Vista Unified District (4175) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Casa Grande Union High School District (4453) Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Prescott Unified District (4466) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to J O Combs Unified School District (4445)'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 J O Combs Unified School District (4445)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in J O Combs Unified School District (4445)?

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) has 10 schools, including 6 combined, 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 4,401 students.

How much does J O Combs Unified School District (4445) spend per student?

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) spends $8,666 per student. The district has an equity score of 20/100, ranking #357 in Arizona.

What is the demographic composition of J O Combs Unified School District (4445)?

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) students are 51.0% White, 34.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for J O Combs Unified School District (4445)?

J O Combs Unified School District (4445) has an equity score of 20/100, ranking #357 out of 437 districts in Arizona.