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Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 040292002862
Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy — San Tan Valley, AZ
Federal NCES profile for Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 23
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: Florence Unified School District (4437) · 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)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 17.7:1 Arizona avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Circle Cross K8 Stem 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
Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy reports 728 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 42.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 0% 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 11% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 34.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 28% below the Arizona average and 33% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Florence Unified School District (4437) spends $9,579 per pupil district-wide, below the Arizona average of $15,070 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 31.7% from local sources (property taxes), 52.4% from the state, and 16.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 3 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 Circle Cross K8 Stem 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 | 17.7:1 | ▼ 0% | 17.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.9% | ▼ 28% | 48.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 728 | top 81% | — | — |
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
34.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 28% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
— 0% above state mean
Top 53% in Arizona — lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.0%
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
$9,579
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arizona avg of $15,070
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 728 Top 81% in Arizona — larger than 19% of 2,186 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 42.0
Students per teacher 17.7:1 +0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 34.9% -28% vs state
NCES ID 040292002862
Student demographics
White 42.9%
Hispanic or Latino 42.2%
African American 5.2%
Two or More 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
Asian 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: White at 42.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 31.0%
In-school suspensions 33
Out-of-school suspensions 60
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Florence Unified School District (4437), which includes Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy.
$9,579
Per student
-36%
vs Arizona
Avg $15,070
-51%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 52.4%
Federal 16.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,310
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Enrollment
- 793
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
Similar elementary schools in San Tan Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Legacy Traditional-San Tan
Standard public school
749 students
American Leadership Academy San Tan Valley K-6
Standard public school
637 students
J. O. Combs Middle School
Standard public school
581 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Champion San Tan
Standard public school
458 students
Happy Valley School East Campus
Standard public school
396 students
Combs Traditional Academy
Standard public school
211 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
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 Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy
How many students attend Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy?
Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy has 728 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in San Tan Valley, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy is 17.7:1, which is 0% higher than the Arizona average of 17.7:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy?
34.9% of students at Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy?
The largest demographic group at Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy is White at 42.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in San Tan Valley, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy?
Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.