Somerton Elementary District (4500)

Somerton, Arizona — 7 schools

2,877
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$13,398
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Somerton Elementary District (4500) operates 7 public schools serving 2,877 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 other, 2 elementary, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 2,986 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Yuma County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,398 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 6.5% local, 61.5% state, and 32.0% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $64,124 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 62/100, ranked #45 of 439 in Arizona against a state average of 38 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 551.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 46.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 96.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% White, 0.1% African American across the district's schools.

Somerton Middle School accounts for 23.3% of all Somerton Elementary District (4500) student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Somerton Elementary District (4500)-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: middle. 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

Somerton Elementary District (4500) school enrollment varies 3.0× across entities

Somerton Elementary District (4500) school enrollment ranges from 229 students (lowest) to 697 students (highest), a spread of 468 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.

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

Somerton Elementary District (4500) has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 53.8% 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

Somerton Elementary District (4500) student-counselor ratio is 552:1 — 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

Somerton Elementary District (4500) chronic absenteeism rate is 46.5% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

32.0%
Federal
61.5%
State
6.5%
Local

Funding Equity

62
Equity Score
45 / 439
State Rank
38
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Yuma County county, where this district is located.

$1,046
Studio/mo
$1,053
1 BR/mo
$1,382
2 BR/mo
$1,892
3 BR/mo
$2,318
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$64,124
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Somerton Elementary District (4500).

White 1.1%
Hispanic or Latino 96.0%
Other 2.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

551.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
46.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Somerton Elementary District (4500)

School Enrollment
Somerton Middle School
697
Tierra Del Sol Elementary School
579
Orange Grove Elementary School
412
Desert Sonora Elementary School
406
Encanto Learning Center
403
Sun Valley Elementary School
260
Bravie T. Soto Elementary School
229

Nearby Districts in Arizona

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Somerton Elementary District (4500)

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 Somerton Elementary District (4500)?

Somerton Elementary District (4500) has 7 schools, including 1 middle, 4 other, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,877 students.

How much does Somerton Elementary District (4500) spend per student?

Somerton Elementary District (4500) spends $13,398 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #45 in Arizona.

What is the average teacher salary in Somerton Elementary District (4500)?

The average teacher salary in Somerton Elementary District (4500) is $64,124 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Somerton Elementary District (4500)?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Yuma County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Somerton Elementary District (4500)?

Somerton Elementary District (4500) students are 96.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% White, 0.1% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Somerton Elementary District (4500)?

Somerton Elementary District (4500) has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #45 out of 439 districts in Arizona. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.