Enrollment
391
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gadsden, AZ
Gadsden Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gadsden Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040324000250
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gadsden Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 90.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 391
- students enrolled
Gadsden Elementary School has class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Gadsden Elementary District (4505) · Arizona
NCES ID 040324000250 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gadsden Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gadsden Elementary School
Gadsden Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gadsden, Arizona, enrolling 391 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 90.9% of students qualify for free meals, 88% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 391 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 125 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #42.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 1/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 326 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Gadsden Elementary District (4505) spends $10,085 per pupil, 23% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Gadsden Elementary District (4505) also operates Cesar Chavez Elementary (766 students) and Desert View Elementary (760 students) alongside Gadsden 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 Gadsden Elementary School compares
Gadsden 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 15% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.9% | ▲ 88% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 391 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
391
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 74% in Arizona - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
70.1%
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
$10,085
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
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 326 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 99.5%
White 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.0, Gadsden Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gadsden Elementary District (4505), which includes Gadsden Elementary School.
$10,085
Per student
-23%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.0%
State 60.7%
Federal 28.3%
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 Gadsden Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cesar Chavez Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert View Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arizona Desert Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southwest Jr. High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ed Pastor Elementary 4 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gadsden Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 29.5:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 760
- Students per teacher
- 27.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 652
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 28.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~391 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gadsden Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gadsden Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Gadsden Elementary District (4505)'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 Gadsden Elementary School
How many students attend Gadsden Elementary School?
Gadsden Elementary School has 391 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gadsden, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gadsden Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gadsden Elementary School is 19.6:1, which is 15% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gadsden Elementary School?
90.9% of students at Gadsden Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gadsden Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gadsden Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 99.5% of enrollment, in Gadsden, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gadsden Elementary School?
Gadsden Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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).
Is Gadsden Elementary School a good school?
Gadsden Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools. 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 Gadsden Elementary District (4505)?
Besides Gadsden Elementary School, Gadsden Elementary District (4505) also operates Cesar Chavez Elementary (766 students), Desert View Elementary (760 students), and Arizona Desert Elementary School (662 students). See the Gadsden Elementary District (4505) 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.