Enrollment
650
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Phoenix, AZ
Estrella Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Estrella Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040168000093
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 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
Estrella Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #13 of 24
- middle schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 52.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Estrella Middle School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Estrella Middle School ranks #13 of 24 middle schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Cartwright Elementary District (4282) · Arizona
NCES ID 040168000093 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Estrella Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Estrella Middle School
Estrella Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 650 students.
At 15.9:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.0% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 650 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 326 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #174.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 650 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 41.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 153 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 650 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Phoenix's middle schools, it stands alongside Sonoran Trails Middle School (615 students): Estrella Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 17.6:1).
Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students) and Charles W. Harris School (875 students) alongside Estrella Middle 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 Estrella Middle School compares
Estrella Middle 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.0% | ▲ 8% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 650 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
650
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 44% in Arizona - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
66.9%
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
$11,851
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 650 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
58
in-school suspensions + 95 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.5 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 93.5%
African American 3.4%
White 1.7%
Two or More 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.4, Estrella Middle School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cartwright Elementary District (4282), which includes Estrella Middle School.
$11,851
Per student
-10%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.7%
State 42.2%
Federal 41.1%
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 Estrella Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Borman School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles W. Harris School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peralta School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manuel Pena Jr. School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunset School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Estrella Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle schools in Phoenix
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~650 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Estrella Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Estrella Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Cartwright Elementary District (4282)'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 Estrella Middle School
How many students attend Estrella Middle School?
Estrella Middle School has 650 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Estrella Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Estrella Middle School is 15.9:1, which is 6% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 1% higher 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 Estrella Middle School?
52.0% of students at Estrella Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Estrella Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Estrella Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 93.5% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Estrella Middle School?
Estrella Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Estrella Middle School rank among middle schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Estrella Middle School ranks #13 of 24 middle schools in Phoenix, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Estrella Middle School a good school?
Estrella Middle School earns 27/100 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 Cartwright Elementary District (4282)?
Besides Estrella Middle School, Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students), Charles W. Harris School (875 students), and Peralta School (817 students). See the Cartwright Elementary District (4282) 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.