Enrollment
539
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Safford, AZ
Dorothy Stinson School
Federal NCES profile for Dorothy Stinson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040724000623
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dorothy Stinson School earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Safford · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 44.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Dorothy Stinson School has class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dorothy Stinson School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Safford, AZ.
School address
District: Safford Unified District (4218) · Arizona
NCES ID 040724000623 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dorothy Stinson School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dorothy Stinson School
Dorothy Stinson School is a mid-sized elementary school in Safford, Arizona, enrolling 539 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 539 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 341 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #329, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and White (35%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1633 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Safford Unified District (4218) spends $9,046 per pupil, 31% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Safford Unified District (4218) also operates Safford High School (828 students) and Ruth Powell Elementary School (575 students) alongside Dorothy Stinson School.
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 Dorothy Stinson School compares
Dorothy Stinson School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20:1 | ▲ 18% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.9% | ▼ 7% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 539 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
539
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 76% in Arizona - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
44.3%
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
$9,046
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 60.1%
White 34.5%
Two or More 2.8%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.9, Dorothy Stinson School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Safford Unified District (4218), which includes Dorothy Stinson School.
$9,046
Per student
-31%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.8%
State 66.4%
Federal 14.8%
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 Dorothy Stinson School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safford High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ruth Powell Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lafe Nelson School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Safford Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mt Graham High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dorothy Stinson School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 86
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~539 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dorothy Stinson School's federal record.
- Compare Dorothy Stinson School against another school. Compare schools
- Safford Unified District (4218)'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 Dorothy Stinson School
How many students attend Dorothy Stinson School?
Dorothy Stinson School has 539 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Safford, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dorothy Stinson School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dorothy Stinson School is 20:1, which is 18% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dorothy Stinson School?
44.9% of students at Dorothy Stinson School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dorothy Stinson School?
The largest demographic group at Dorothy Stinson School is Hispanic or Latino at 60.1% of enrollment, in Safford, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dorothy Stinson School?
Dorothy Stinson School has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (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).
How does Dorothy Stinson School rank among elementary schools in Safford?
By Resource Investment Index, Dorothy Stinson School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Safford, 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 Safford on the city page.
Is Dorothy Stinson School a good school?
Dorothy Stinson School earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Safford Unified District (4218)?
Besides Dorothy Stinson School, Safford Unified District (4218) also operates Safford High School (828 students), Ruth Powell Elementary School (575 students), and Lafe Nelson School (471 students). See the Safford Unified District (4218) 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.