Enrollment
796
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sun Lakes, AZ
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence
Federal NCES profile for Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040187002646
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Arizona schools.
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.4:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 2.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 796
- students enrolled
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence has class sizes larger than 78% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) · Arizona
NCES ID 040187002646 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
2.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-96% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Sun Lakes, Arizona, enrolling 796 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 2.0% free-meal eligibility runs 96% below the Arizona average.
Enrollment of 796 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 130 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #88.
Its student body is led by Asian (63%) and White (19%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 796 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) spends $9,696 per pupil, 26% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) also operates Hamilton High School (3,444 students) and Chandler High School (3,179 students) alongside Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence.
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 Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence compares
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.4:1 | ▲ 20% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 2.0% | ▼ 96% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 796 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
796
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
2.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 96% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 78% in Arizona - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
14.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$9,696
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 796 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Asian 62.8%
White 18.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 5.5%
African American 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Asian at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.8, Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chandler Unified District #80 (4242), which includes Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence.
$9,696
Per student
-26%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.7%
State 44.2%
Federal 13.1%
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.
How Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chandler High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Basha High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dr. Camille Casteel High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Perry High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,444
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 3,179
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,826
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,816
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,373
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~796 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence's federal record.
- Compare Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence against another school. Compare schools
- Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)'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 Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence
How many students attend Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence?
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence has 796 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sun Lakes, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence?
The student-teacher ratio at Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence is 20.4:1, which is 20% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence?
2.0% of students at Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence?
The largest demographic group at Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence is Asian at 62.8% of enrollment, in Sun Lakes, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence?
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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).
Is Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence a good school?
Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)?
Besides Chandler Traditional Academy - Independence, Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) also operates Hamilton High School (3,444 students), Chandler High School (3,179 students), and Basha High School (2,826 students). See the Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) 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.