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 - 19 schools
An equity score of 55/100 ranks Phoenix Union High School District (4286) #86 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,816 per pupil, Phoenix Union High School District (4286) ranks #245 of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
27,900
Total Enrollment
19
Schools
$11,816
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) operates 19 public schools serving 27,900 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 19 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 $11,816 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 57.9% local, 24.1% state, and 18.0% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 55/100, ranked #86 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.
Academic infrastructure includes 15 of 19 schools offering Advanced Placement (120 AP courses district-wide), a 276.7:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 25.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 80.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% African American, 4.8% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Betty Fairfax High School, with a diversity index of 58.6/100.
Its largest campus is Trevor Browne High School, enrolling 2,850 students (11% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pxu Digital Academy, at 70 students, a 41x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) school enrollment varies 41× across entities
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) school enrollment ranges from 70 students (lowest) to 2,850 students (highest), a spread of 2,780 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.6% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) student-counselor ratio is 277:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Phoenix Union High School District (4286) is typically wider than the Phoenix Union High School District (4286)-aggregate figure suggests.
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) chronic absenteeism rate is 25.7% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Phoenix Union High School District (4286) is typically wider than the Phoenix Union High School District (4286)-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Phoenix Union High School District (4286)'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.
How many schools are in Phoenix Union High School District (4286)?
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) has 19 schools, including 19 high. Total enrollment is 27,900 students.
How much does Phoenix Union High School District (4286) spend per student?
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) spends $11,816 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #86 in Arizona.
What is the demographic composition of Phoenix Union High School District (4286)?
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) students are 80.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% African American, 4.8% White, 1.7% Asian, averaged across 19 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Phoenix Union High School District (4286)?
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #86 out of 437 districts in Arizona.