Enrollment
629
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Queen Creek, AZ
Cortina Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cortina Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040378002663
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cortina Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #4 of 14
- schools in Queen Creek · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 7.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cortina Elementary has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cortina Elementary ranks #4 of 14 schools in Queen Creek, AZ.
School address
District: Higley Unified School District (4248) · Arizona
NCES ID 040378002663 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-86% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cortina Elementary compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cortina Elementary
Cortina Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Queen Creek, Arizona, enrolling 629 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.0% free-meal eligibility runs 86% below the Arizona average.
Enrollment of 629 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 179 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #77.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 47/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Higley Unified School District (4248) spends $8,545 per pupil, 35% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Queen Creek's public schools, it stands alongside Crismon High School (2,009 students): Cortina Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 44.6:1).
Higley Unified School District (4248) also operates Williams Field High School (2,150 students) and Higley High School (2,005 students) alongside Cortina Elementary.
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 Cortina Elementary compares
Cortina Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▼ 10% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.0% | ▼ 86% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 629 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
629
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 86% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 39% in Arizona - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.1%
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
$8,545
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
9
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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
White 70.1%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 2.7%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.8, Cortina Elementary is about as mixed as the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Higley Unified School District (4248), which includes Cortina Elementary.
$8,545
Per student
-35%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.1%
State 48.7%
Federal 11.2%
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 Cortina Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams Field High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Higley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sossaman Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Tan Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cooley Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cortina Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,150
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,005
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,094
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Queen Creek
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Crismon High School
Standard public school
2,009 students 44.6:1 students per teacher
Heritage Academy Gateway
Standard public school
1,556 students
Benjamin Franklin High School
Standard public school
1,324 students
Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary School
Standard public school
1,153 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary
Standard public school
908 students 29.3:1 students per teacher
Frances Brandon-Pickett Elementary
Standard public school
642 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~629 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cortina Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cortina Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Higley Unified School District (4248)'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 Cortina Elementary
How many students attend Cortina Elementary?
Cortina Elementary has 629 students enrolled. It is a public school in Queen Creek, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cortina Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cortina Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 10% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cortina Elementary?
7.0% of students at Cortina Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cortina Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cortina Elementary is White at 70.1% of enrollment, in Queen Creek, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cortina Elementary?
Cortina Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cortina Elementary rank among schools in Queen Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Cortina Elementary ranks #4 of 14 schools in Queen Creek, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Queen Creek on the city page.
Is Cortina Elementary a good school?
Cortina Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Higley Unified School District (4248)?
Besides Cortina Elementary, Higley Unified School District (4248) also operates Williams Field High School (2,150 students), Higley High School (2,005 students), and Sossaman Middle School (1,094 students). See the Higley Unified School District (4248) 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.