Enrollment
843
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tolleson, AZ
Arizona Desert Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Arizona Desert Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040849001705
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arizona Desert Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Arizona schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Tolleson · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.3:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 66.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Arizona Desert Elementary School has class sizes larger than 96% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Arizona Desert Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Tolleson, AZ.
School address
District: Tolleson Elementary District (4264) · Arizona
NCES ID 040849001705 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.3:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+55% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arizona Desert Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arizona Desert Elementary School
Arizona Desert Elementary School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Tolleson, Arizona, enrolling 843 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.3:1 is larger than about 96% of Arizona schools and 55% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 843 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 204 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #144.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 422 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Tolleson Elementary District (4264) also operates Desert Oasis Elementary School (738 students) and Porfirio H. Gonzales Elementary School (721 students) alongside Arizona Desert Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Arizona Desert Elementary School compares
Arizona Desert Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.3:1 | ▲ 55% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.9% | ▲ 39% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 843 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.3:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
843
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.3:1
students per teacher
- 55% above state mean
Top 96% in Arizona - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
41.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,791
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 422 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
65
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 82.2%
African American 10.4%
White 4.2%
Asian 1.2%
Two or More 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.1, Arizona Desert Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tolleson Elementary District (4264), which includes Arizona Desert Elementary School.
$10,791
Per student
-18%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 40.2%
Federal 25.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Arizona Desert Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Oasis Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Porfirio H. Gonzales Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sheely Farms Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tolleson Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Arizona Desert Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 37
- Students per teacher
- 6.2:1
- Resource Index
- 73/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~843 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arizona Desert Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Arizona Desert Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Tolleson Elementary District (4264)'s spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Arizona Desert Elementary School
How many students attend Arizona Desert Elementary School?
Arizona Desert Elementary School has 843 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tolleson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arizona Desert Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Arizona Desert Elementary School is 26.3:1, which is 55% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 68% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Arizona Desert Elementary School?
66.9% of students at Arizona Desert Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arizona Desert Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Arizona Desert Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 82.2% of enrollment, in Tolleson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arizona Desert Elementary School?
Arizona Desert Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Arizona Desert Elementary School rank among schools in Tolleson?
By Resource Investment Index, Arizona Desert Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Tolleson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tolleson on the city page.
Is Arizona Desert Elementary School a good school?
Arizona Desert Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Arizona schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Tolleson Elementary District (4264)?
Besides Arizona Desert Elementary School, Tolleson Elementary District (4264) also operates Desert Oasis Elementary School (738 students), Porfirio H. Gonzales Elementary School (721 students), and Sheely Farms Elementary School (628 students). See the Tolleson Elementary District (4264) district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.