Enrollment
182
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tucson, AZ
Ford Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ford Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040880000843
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ford Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Arizona schools.
- #12 of 131
- schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 65.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ford Elementary has class sizes smaller than 88% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ford Elementary ranks #12 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Tucson Unified District (4403) · Arizona
NCES ID 040880000843 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.7%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ford Elementary compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ford Elementary
Ford Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 182 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.4:1, Ford Elementary is leaner than roughly 88% of Arizona schools and 33% under the state's 17:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 182 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 111 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #23.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (34%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 182 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 86.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.6% 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): Ford Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.4:1 vs 21.7:1).
Tucson Unified District (4403) also operates Tucson Magnet High School (2,938 students) and Pueblo High School (1,821 students) alongside Ford Elementary.
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 Ford Elementary compares
Ford Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.4:1 | ▼ 33% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.7% | ▲ 36% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 182 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
182
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 12% in Arizona - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
86.3%
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
$11,545
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 182 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 51.6%
White 34.1%
African American 9.3%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.7, Ford Elementary is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tucson Unified District (4403), which includes Ford Elementary.
$11,545
Per student
-12%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 34.7%
Federal 23.6%
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 Ford Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pueblo High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cholla High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sahuaro High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Catalina Online Learning Experience | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Ford Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,938
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,821
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,575
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~182 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ford Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ford Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Tucson Unified District (4403)'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 Ford Elementary
How many students attend Ford Elementary?
Ford Elementary has 182 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ford Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ford Elementary is 11.4:1, which is 33% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 27% lower 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 Ford Elementary?
65.7% of students at Ford Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ford Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ford Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 51.6% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ford Elementary?
Ford Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 Ford Elementary rank among schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Ford Elementary ranks #12 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 Ford Elementary a good school?
Ford Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of 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 Tucson Unified District (4403)?
Besides Ford Elementary, Tucson Unified District (4403) also operates Tucson Magnet High School (2,938 students), Pueblo High School (1,821 students), and Cholla High School (1,575 students). See the Tucson Unified District (4403) 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.