Littleton Elementary District (4278)

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.

Avondale, Arizona - 8 schools

An equity score of 36/100 ranks Littleton Elementary District (4278) #210 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $9,585 per pupil, Littleton Elementary District (4278) ranks #432 of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,877
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$9,585
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Littleton Elementary District (4278) operates 8 public schools serving 5,877 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 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 Maricopa County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,585 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 34.0% local, 45.5% state, and 20.5% 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 36/100, ranked #210 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.

and 44.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% African American, 6.7% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Collier Elementary School, with a diversity index of 48.1/100.

Its largest campus is Quentin Elementary School, enrolling 914 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Lesd Online Academy, at 34 students, a 27x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Quentin Elementary School accounts for 15.6% of all Littleton Elementary District (4278) student enrollment

That concentration means Littleton Elementary District (4278)-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

Littleton Elementary District (4278) school enrollment varies 27× across entities

Littleton Elementary District (4278) school enrollment ranges from 34 students (lowest) to 914 students (highest), a spread of 880 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Littleton Elementary District (4278) has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 54.8% 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

Littleton Elementary District (4278) chronic absenteeism rate is 44.4% — 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?

20.5%
Federal
45.5%
State
34.0%
Local

Funding Equity

36
Equity Score
210 / 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 8 schools in Littleton Elementary District (4278).

White 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 76.6%
African American 11.3%
Asian 1.1%
Multiracial 3.3%
Other 1.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 39.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Littleton Elementary District (4278)'s schools, below the Arizona average of 47.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Collier Elementary School 48.1
  2. 2 Fine Arts Academy 43.4
  3. 3 Quentin Elementary School 42.8
  4. 4 Lesd Online Academy 42.4
  5. 5 Country Place Elementary 35.8

Programs & Resources

44.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Littleton Elementary District (4278)

School Enrollment
Quentin Elementary School
914
Country Place Elementary
900
Estrella Vista Elementary School
893
Fine Arts Academy
811
Littleton Elementary School
802
Collier Elementary School
773
Tres Rios Elementary School
713
Lesd Online Academy
34

How Littleton Elementary District (4278) Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arizona districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Avondale Elementary District (4272) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Madison Elementary District (4270) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc. (90878) Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Buckeye Elementary District (4269) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Nogales Unified District (4457) Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Littleton Elementary District (4278)'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 Littleton Elementary District (4278)

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 Littleton Elementary District (4278)?

Littleton Elementary District (4278) has 8 schools, including 6 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 5,877 students.

How much does Littleton Elementary District (4278) spend per student?

Littleton Elementary District (4278) spends $9,585 per student. The district has an equity score of 36/100, ranking #210 in Arizona.

What is the demographic composition of Littleton Elementary District (4278)?

Littleton Elementary District (4278) students are 76.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% African American, 6.7% White, 1.1% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Littleton Elementary District (4278)?

Littleton Elementary District (4278) has an equity score of 36/100, ranking #210 out of 437 districts in Arizona.