Enrollment
515
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tucson, AZ
Drexel Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Drexel Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040817000715
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Drexel Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #124 of 131
- schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 86.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Drexel Elementary School has class sizes larger than 84% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Drexel Elementary School ranks #124 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Sunnyside Unified District (4407) · Arizona
NCES ID 040817000715 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Drexel Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Drexel Elementary School
Drexel Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 515 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.9% of students qualify for free meals, 80% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 515 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 177 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #120.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 515 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sunnyside Unified District (4407) spends $9,713 per pupil, 26% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 32.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Tucson's public schools, it stands alongside Craycroft Elementary School (586 students): Drexel Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.5:1 vs 21.7:1).
Sunnyside Unified District (4407) also operates Sunnyside High School (2,258 students) and Desert View High School (2,102 students) alongside Drexel Elementary 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 Drexel Elementary School compares
Drexel Elementary 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 | 21.5:1 | ▲ 26% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.9% | ▲ 80% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 515 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
515
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 84% in Arizona - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
70.3%
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
$9,713
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 515 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 88.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.5%
African American 3.3%
White 2.5%
Two or More 1.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.8, Drexel Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunnyside Unified District (4407), which includes Drexel Elementary School.
$9,713
Per student
-26%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 48.9%
Federal 32.5%
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 Drexel Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Desert View High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sierra 2-8 School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gallego Intermediate Fine Arts Magnet School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elvira Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Drexel Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,258
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,102
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar other schools in Tucson
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~515 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Drexel Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Drexel Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sunnyside Unified District (4407)'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 Drexel Elementary School
How many students attend Drexel Elementary School?
Drexel Elementary School has 515 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Drexel Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Drexel Elementary School is 21.5:1, which is 26% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Drexel Elementary School?
86.9% of students at Drexel Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Drexel Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Drexel Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 88.2% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Drexel Elementary School?
Drexel Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Drexel Elementary School rank among schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Drexel Elementary School ranks #124 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Drexel Elementary School a good school?
Drexel Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Sunnyside Unified District (4407)?
Besides Drexel Elementary School, Sunnyside Unified District (4407) also operates Sunnyside High School (2,258 students), Desert View High School (2,102 students), and Sierra 2-8 School (801 students). See the Sunnyside Unified District (4407) 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.