Enrollment
501
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tempe, AZ
Flora Thew Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Flora Thew Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040831000786
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 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
Flora Thew Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #18 of 19
- schools in Tempe · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 83.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Flora Thew Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Flora Thew Elementary School ranks #18 of 19 schools in Tempe, AZ.
School address
District: Tempe School District (4258) · Arizona
NCES ID 040831000786 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Flora Thew Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Flora Thew Elementary School
Flora Thew Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tempe, Arizona, enrolling 501 students.
At 16.2:1, 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 is high: 83.8% of students qualify for free meals, 73% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 501 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 211 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #110.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 501 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Tempe's public schools, it stands alongside Asu Preparatory Academy Digital (3,850 students): Flora Thew Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Tempe School District (4258) also operates Connolly Middle School (923 students) and Nevitt Elementary School (712 students) alongside Flora Thew 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 Flora Thew Elementary School compares
Flora Thew 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 | 16.2:1 | ▼ 5% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.8% | ▲ 73% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 501 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
501
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 47% in Arizona - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.3%
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
$11,917
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 501 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 68.7%
African American 12.6%
White 6.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.0%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Flora Thew Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tempe School District (4258), which includes Flora Thew Elementary School.
$11,917
Per student
-9%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.6%
State 29.1%
Federal 13.3%
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 Flora Thew Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connolly Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nevitt Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Geneva Epps Mosley Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fees College Preparatory Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Broadmor Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Flora Thew Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 694
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 645
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools in Tempe
1 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 (~501 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Flora Thew Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Flora Thew Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Tempe School District (4258)'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 Flora Thew Elementary School
How many students attend Flora Thew Elementary School?
Flora Thew Elementary School has 501 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tempe, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Flora Thew Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Flora Thew Elementary School is 16.2:1, which is 5% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 3% 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 Flora Thew Elementary School?
83.8% of students at Flora Thew Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Flora Thew Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Flora Thew Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 68.7% of enrollment, in Tempe, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Flora Thew Elementary School?
Flora Thew Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Flora Thew Elementary School rank among schools in Tempe?
By Resource Investment Index, Flora Thew Elementary School ranks #18 of 19 schools in Tempe, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tempe on the city page.
Is Flora Thew Elementary School a good school?
Flora Thew Elementary School earns 26/100 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 Tempe School District (4258)?
Besides Flora Thew Elementary School, Tempe School District (4258) also operates Connolly Middle School (923 students), Nevitt Elementary School (712 students), and Geneva Epps Mosley Middle School (694 students). See the Tempe School District (4258) 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.