Enrollment
617
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 040168002135
Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy — Phoenix, AZ
Federal NCES profile for Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 24/100.
👥 Class size 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Cartwright Elementary District (4282) · Arizona
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 17.7:1 Arizona avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy reports 617 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 30.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the Arizona state mean of 17.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 16% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 61.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 26% above the Arizona average and 18% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 617 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 59.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Cartwright Elementary District (4282) spends $16,285 per pupil district-wide, above the Arizona average of $15,070 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 16.7% from local sources (property taxes), 42.2% from the state, and 41.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arizona state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 17.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.0% | ▲ 26% | 48.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 617 | top 73% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
61.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 26% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 59% in Arizona — lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,285
per pupil, district-wide
— above Arizona avg of $15,070
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 617 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 617 Top 73% in Arizona — larger than 27% of 2,186 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 30.0
Students per teacher 18.4:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 61.0% +26% vs state
NCES ID 040168002135
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 89.0%
African American 5.2%
White 2.6%
Two or More 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 617:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 59.5%
In-school suspensions 11
Out-of-school suspensions 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cartwright Elementary District (4282), which includes Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy.
$16,285
Per student
+8%
vs Arizona
Avg $15,070
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 16.7%
State 42.2%
Federal 41.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
Similar other schools in Phoenix
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Arizona Virtual Academy
Standard public school
4,476 students
Pinnacle High School
Standard public school
2,430 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Paradise Valley High School
Standard public school
1,900 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Barry Goldwater High School
Standard public school
1,602 students 20:1 students per teacher
North Canyon High School
Standard public school
1,560 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Great Hearts Academies - Maryvale Prep
Standard public school
1,192 students
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy
How many students attend Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy?
Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy has 617 students enrolled. It is a other school in PHOENIX, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy is 18.4:1, which is 4% higher than the Arizona average of 17.7:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy?
61.0% of students at Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 89.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in PHOENIX, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy?
Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.