Enrollment
262
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buckeye, AZ
Festival Foothills Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Festival Foothills Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040919002827
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Festival Foothills Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #1 of 6
- schools in Buckeye · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 24.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Festival Foothills Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Festival Foothills Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 schools in Buckeye, AZ.
School address
District: Wickenburg Unified District (4236) · Arizona
NCES ID 040919002827 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Festival Foothills Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Festival Foothills Elementary School
Festival Foothills Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Buckeye, Arizona, enrolling 262 students.
At 16.4:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 24.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 262 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 79 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #60, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Wickenburg Unified District (4236) spends $10,362 per pupil, 21% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Buckeye's public schools, it stands alongside Verrado Heritage Elementary School (1,014 students): Festival Foothills Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 24.1:1).
Wickenburg Unified District (4236) also operates Wickenburg High School (384 students) and Hassayampa Elementary School (282 students) alongside Festival Foothills 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 Festival Foothills Elementary School compares
Festival Foothills 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.8% | ▼ 49% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
262
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 49% in Arizona - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
57.6%
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
$10,362
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 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.4 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
White 45.8%
Hispanic or Latino 33.6%
African American 10.3%
Two or More 8.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 45.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.0, Festival Foothills Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wickenburg Unified District (4236), which includes Festival Foothills Elementary School.
$10,362
Per student
-21%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.3%
State 22.6%
Federal 11.0%
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 Festival Foothills Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wickenburg High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hassayampa Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vulture Peak Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wickenburg Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Festival Foothills Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 282
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 118
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 33
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Buckeye
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Verrado Heritage Elementary School
Standard public school
1,014 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Blue Horizons Elementary School
Standard public school
976 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Marionneaux Elementary School
Standard public school
697 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Desert Sunset Elementary School
Standard public school
648 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Sequoia Pathfinder Academy at Verrado Way and I-10
Standard public school
602 students
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 (~262 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Festival Foothills Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Festival Foothills Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Wickenburg Unified District (4236)'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 Festival Foothills Elementary School
How many students attend Festival Foothills Elementary School?
Festival Foothills Elementary School has 262 students enrolled. It is a public school in Buckeye, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Festival Foothills Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Festival Foothills Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 4% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 4% 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 Festival Foothills Elementary School?
24.8% of students at Festival Foothills Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Festival Foothills Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Festival Foothills Elementary School is White at 45.8% of enrollment, in Buckeye, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Festival Foothills Elementary School?
Festival Foothills Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Festival Foothills Elementary School rank among schools in Buckeye?
By Resource Investment Index, Festival Foothills Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 schools in Buckeye, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Buckeye on the city page.
Is Festival Foothills Elementary School a good school?
Festival Foothills Elementary School earns 28/100 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 Wickenburg Unified District (4236)?
Besides Festival Foothills Elementary School, Wickenburg Unified District (4236) also operates Wickenburg High School (384 students), Hassayampa Elementary School (282 students), and Vulture Peak Middle School (118 students). See the Wickenburg Unified District (4236) 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.