Enrollment
742
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Marana, AZ
Gladden Farms Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Gladden Farms Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040463003516
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gladden Farms Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Marana · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.7:1
- students per teacher
- 16.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Gladden Farms Elementary has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gladden Farms Elementary ranks #5 of 6 schools in Marana, AZ.
School address
District: Marana Unified District (4404) · Arizona
NCES ID 040463003516 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gladden Farms Elementary compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gladden Farms Elementary
Gladden Farms Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Marana, Arizona, enrolling 742 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.9% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the Arizona average.
Enrollment of 742 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.
Among 252 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #200, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (42%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 495 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Marana Unified District (4404) spends $9,931 per pupil, 24% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Marana Unified District (4404) also operates Marana High School (2,437 students) and Mountain View High School (1,827 students) alongside Gladden Farms 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 Gladden Farms Elementary compares
Gladden Farms 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.9% | ▼ 65% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 742 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
742
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 61% in Arizona - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
40.2%
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
$9,931
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 495 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 49.7%
Hispanic or Latino 41.8%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 1.9%
African American 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 49.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Gladden Farms Elementary is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Marana Unified District (4404), which includes Gladden Farms Elementary.
$9,931
Per student
-24%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 43.4%
Federal 14.2%
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 Gladden Farms Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marana High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dove Mountain K-8 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marana Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Twin Peaks Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gladden Farms Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,437
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,827
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,004
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 941
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~742 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gladden Farms Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Gladden Farms Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Marana Unified District (4404)'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 Gladden Farms Elementary
How many students attend Gladden Farms Elementary?
Gladden Farms Elementary has 742 students enrolled. It is a public school in Marana, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gladden Farms Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Gladden Farms Elementary is 17.7:1, which is 4% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gladden Farms Elementary?
16.9% of students at Gladden Farms Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gladden Farms Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Gladden Farms Elementary is White at 49.7% of enrollment, in Marana, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gladden Farms Elementary?
Gladden Farms Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Gladden Farms Elementary rank among schools in Marana?
By Resource Investment Index, Gladden Farms Elementary ranks #5 of 6 schools in Marana, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Marana on the city page.
Is Gladden Farms Elementary a good school?
Gladden Farms Elementary earns 25/100 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 Marana Unified District (4404)?
Besides Gladden Farms Elementary, Marana Unified District (4404) also operates Marana High School (2,437 students), Mountain View High School (1,827 students), and Dove Mountain K-8 (1,004 students). See the Marana Unified District (4404) 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.