Red Mesa Unified District (4159)

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.

Teec Nos Pos, Arizona - 5 schools

An equity score of 90/100 ranks Red Mesa Unified District (4159) #2 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $25,276 per pupil, Red Mesa Unified District (4159) ranks #37 of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

481
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$25,276
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) operates 5 public schools serving 481 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 2 combined, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Apache County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $25,276 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 64 of 634 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arizona compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 4.1% local, 35.9% state, and 60.0% federal, an unusually federal-heavy mix, typically a marker of concentrated Title I eligibility or a small district reliant on federal impact-aid programs. The district's equity score is 90/100, ranked #2 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.

a 140:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 80.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 0.7% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Red Mesa Elementary School, with a diversity index of 7.8/100.

Its largest campus is Red Mesa High School, enrolling 140 students (33% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Red Valley/Cove High School, at 17 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Red Mesa High School accounts for 29.1% of all Red Mesa Unified District (4159) student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Red Mesa Unified District (4159)-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) school enrollment varies 8.2× across entities

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) school enrollment ranges from 17 students (lowest) to 140 students (highest), a spread of 123 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

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.2% 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) student-counselor ratio is 140:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) chronic absenteeism rate is 80.5% — 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?

60.0%
Federal
35.9%
State
4.1%
Local

Funding Equity

90
Equity Score
2 / 437
State Rank
38
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Red Mesa Unified District (4159).

Asian 0.7%
Other 98.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 2.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Red Mesa Unified District (4159)'s schools, below the Arizona average of 47.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Red Mesa Elementary School 7.8
  2. 2 Red Mesa High School 2.8
  3. 3 Red Mesa Junior High School 2.6
  4. 4 Round Rock Elementary School 0.0
  5. 5 Red Valley/Cove High School 0.0

Programs & Resources

140:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
80.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Red Mesa Unified District (4159)

School Enrollment
Red Mesa High School
140
Red Mesa Elementary School
124
Red Mesa Junior High School
75
Round Rock Elementary School
71
Red Valley/Cove High School
17

How Red Mesa Unified District (4159) Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arizona districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Desert Star Academy (92302) Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Archway Classical Academy Cicero (92314) Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc. (85816) Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary District (4486) Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
American Charter Schools Foundation D.B.a. Alta Vi (80995) Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Red Mesa Unified District (4159)'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 Red Mesa Unified District (4159)

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 Red Mesa Unified District (4159)?

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) has 5 schools, including 2 high, 2 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 481 students.

How much does Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spend per student?

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spends $25,276 per student. The district has an equity score of 90/100, ranking #2 in Arizona.

What is the demographic composition of Red Mesa Unified District (4159)?

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) students are 0.7% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Red Mesa Unified District (4159)?

Red Mesa Unified District (4159) has an equity score of 90/100, ranking #2 out of 437 districts in Arizona.