An equity score of 30/100 ranks Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) #254 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $9,639 per pupil, Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) ranks #509 of 633 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,673
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$9,639
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) operates 5 public schools serving 3,673 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 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 Santa Cruz County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,639 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 633 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arizona compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 28.9% local, 50.5% state, and 20.6% 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 30/100, ranked #254 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 1050.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 53.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% White, 0.4% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Coatimundi Middle School, with a diversity index of 6.6/100.
Its largest campus is Rio Rico High School, enrolling 1,397 students (39% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is San Cayetano Elementary School, at 395 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Rio Rico High School accounts for 38.0% of all Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) school enrollment varies 3.5× across entities
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) school enrollment ranges from 395 students (lowest) to 1,397 students (highest), a spread of 1,002 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) reports 63.6% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) student-counselor ratio is 1050:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 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.
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) chronic absenteeism rate is 53.5% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)'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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How many schools are in Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)?
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,673 students.
How much does Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) spend per student?
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) spends $9,639 per student. The district has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #254 in Arizona.
What is the demographic composition of Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)?
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) students are 97.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% White, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)?
Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458) has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #254 out of 437 districts in Arizona.