Enrollment
206
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Colorado City, AZ
El Capitan Public School
Federal NCES profile for El Capitan Public School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040002101276
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Capitan Public School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Colorado City · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.2:1
- students per teacher
- 58.8%
- free-lunch eligible
El Capitan Public School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Capitan Public School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Colorado City, AZ.
School address
District: Colorado City Unified District (4370) · Arizona
NCES ID 040002101276 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Capitan Public School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Capitan Public School
El Capitan Public School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Colorado City, Arizona, enrolling 206 students.
At 17.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 206 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 115 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #62.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Colorado City Unified District (4370) spends $18,183 per pupil, 38% above the Arizona average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Colorado City's public schools, it stands alongside Masada Charter School (522 students): El Capitan Public School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Its district, Colorado City Unified District (4370), also runs Cottonwood Elementary (338 students).
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 El Capitan Public School compares
El Capitan Public 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 1% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.8% | ▲ 22% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 206 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
206
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 56% in Arizona - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.0%
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
$18,183
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arizona avg of $13,145
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 93.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
Two or More 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 93.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.1, El Capitan Public School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colorado City Unified District (4370), which includes El Capitan Public School.
$18,183
Per student
+38%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 48.4%
Federal 28.9%
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 El Capitan Public School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Capitan Public School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar other schools in Colorado City
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 (~206 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Capitan Public School's federal record.
- Compare El Capitan Public School against another school. Compare schools
- Colorado City Unified District (4370)'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 El Capitan Public School
How many students attend El Capitan Public School?
El Capitan Public School has 206 students enrolled. It is a public school in Colorado City, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Capitan Public School?
The student-teacher ratio at El Capitan Public School is 17.2:1, which is 1% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at El Capitan Public School?
58.8% of students at El Capitan Public School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Capitan Public School?
The largest demographic group at El Capitan Public School is White at 93.7% of enrollment, in Colorado City, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Capitan Public School?
El Capitan Public School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 El Capitan Public School rank among schools in Colorado City?
By Resource Investment Index, El Capitan Public School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Colorado City, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Colorado City on the city page.
Is El Capitan Public School a good school?
El Capitan Public School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Colorado City Unified District (4370)?
Besides El Capitan Public School, Colorado City Unified District (4370) also operates Cottonwood Elementary (338 students). See the Colorado City Unified District (4370) 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.