Enrollment
684
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Phoenix, AZ
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy
Federal NCES profile for Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040168000095
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 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
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #143 of 179
- schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.8:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 68.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy has class sizes larger than 89% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy ranks #143 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Cartwright Elementary District (4282) · Arizona
NCES ID 040168000095 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 684 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.8:1 is larger than about 89% of Arizona schools and 34% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 684 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 285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #220, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 684 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 41.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Phoenix's public schools, it stands alongside Pan-American Charter School (1,221 students): Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students) and Charles W. Harris School (875 students) alongside Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy.
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 Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy compares
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.8:1 | ▲ 34% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.9% | ▲ 43% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 684 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
684
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
22.8:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 89% in Arizona - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
46.6%
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
$11,851
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 684 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 93.6%
African American 3.5%
White 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.2, Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cartwright Elementary District (4282), which includes Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy.
$11,851
Per student
-10%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.7%
State 42.2%
Federal 41.1%
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 Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Borman School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles W. Harris School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Peralta School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manuel Pena Jr. School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunset School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Phoenix
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pan-American Charter School
Standard public school
1,221 students
Great Hearts Academies - Anthem Prep
Standard public school
1,031 students
Westwind Elementary School
Standard public school
932 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Stetson Hills School
Standard public school
887 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Union Park School
Standard public school
873 students 19:1 students per teacher
Fireside Elementary School
Standard public school
693 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~684 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy's federal record.
- Compare Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Cartwright Elementary District (4282)'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 Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy
How many students attend Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy?
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy has 684 students enrolled. It is a public school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy is 22.8:1, which is 34% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy?
68.9% of students at Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy?
The largest demographic group at Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 93.6% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy?
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy rank among schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy ranks #143 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy a good school?
Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Cartwright Elementary District (4282)?
Besides Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy, Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students), Charles W. Harris School (875 students), and Peralta School (817 students). See the Cartwright Elementary District (4282) 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.