Enrollment
895
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tolleson, AZ
Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain
Federal NCES profile for Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040023902533Charter school
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data.
- #6 of 6
- elementary schools in Tolleson · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 36.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 895
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in Tolleson, AZ.
School address
District: P.L.C. Charter Schools (6235) · Arizona
NCES ID 040023902533 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
36.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-25% vs state
What stands out at Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain
Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain is a large charter elementary school in Tolleson, Arizona, enrolling 895 students.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 895 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 200 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #171, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 67.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding P.L.C. Charter Schools (6235) spends $9,496 per pupil, 28% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 33.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Tolleson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tolleson Virtual Academy (37 students): Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain is larger than that campus by headcount.
P.L.C. Charter Schools (6235) is a single-school charter district, so Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain compares
Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.0% | ▼ 25% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 895 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
895
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Engagement
67.7%
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
$9,496
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 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 82.7%
African American 11.1%
White 3.5%
Two or More 1.9%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.2, Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for P.L.C. Charter Schools (6235), which includes Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain.
$9,496
Per student
-28%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.9%
State 65.0%
Federal 33.0%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Tolleson
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain's federal record.
- Compare Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain against another school. Compare schools
- P.L.C. Charter Schools (6235)'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 Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain
How many students attend Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain?
Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain has 895 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tolleson, AZ.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain?
36.0% of students at Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain?
The largest demographic group at Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain is Hispanic or Latino at 82.7% of enrollment, in Tolleson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain?
Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain rank among elementary schools in Tolleson?
By Resource Investment Index, Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain ranks #6 of 6 elementary 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 elementary schools in Tolleson on the city page.
Is Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain a good school?
Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. 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 P.L.C. Charter Schools (6235)?
None; P.L.C. Charter Schools (6235) is a single-school charter district, and Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain is its only campus.
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.