Enrollment
719
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Glendale, AZ
Harold W Smith School
Federal NCES profile for Harold W Smith School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040342000266
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 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
Harold W Smith School earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Arizona schools.
- #12 of 17
- elementary schools in Glendale · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.7:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 94.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Harold W Smith School has class sizes larger than 97% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harold W Smith School ranks #12 of 17 elementary schools in Glendale, AZ.
School address
District: Glendale Elementary District (4271) · Arizona
NCES ID 040342000266 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.7:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+63% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+96% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harold W Smith School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harold W Smith School
Harold W Smith School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Glendale, Arizona, enrolling 719 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.7:1 is larger than about 97% of Arizona schools and 63% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 94.9% of students qualify for free meals, 96% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 719 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.
Against 55 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #37.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 719 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 77.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Glendale Elementary District (4271) spends $9,522 per pupil, 28% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 35.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Glendale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Legacy Traditional School ? Glendale (1,280 students): Harold W Smith School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Glendale Elementary District (4271) also operates Horizon School (856 students) and Challenger Middle School (839 students) alongside Harold W Smith 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 Harold W Smith School compares
Harold W Smith 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 | 27.7:1 | ▲ 63% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.9% | ▲ 96% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 719 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
719
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 96% 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
27.7:1
students per teacher
- 63% above state mean
Top 97% in Arizona - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
77.5%
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
$9,522
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 719 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
34
in-school suspensions + 104 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.2 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 83.0%
African American 7.8%
White 4.3%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Two or More 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.2, Harold W Smith School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Glendale Elementary District (4271), which includes Harold W Smith School.
$9,522
Per student
-28%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.2%
State 46.6%
Federal 35.2%
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 Harold W Smith School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Challenger Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William C Jack School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bicentennial South School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Desert Spirit | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harold W Smith School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 856
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 839
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 682
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in Glendale
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~719 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harold W Smith School's federal record.
- Compare Harold W Smith School against another school. Compare schools
- Glendale Elementary District (4271)'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 Harold W Smith School
How many students attend Harold W Smith School?
Harold W Smith School has 719 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Glendale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harold W Smith School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harold W Smith School is 27.7:1, which is 63% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harold W Smith School?
94.9% of students at Harold W Smith School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harold W Smith School?
The largest demographic group at Harold W Smith School is Hispanic or Latino at 83.0% of enrollment, in Glendale, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harold W Smith School?
Harold W Smith School has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Harold W Smith School rank among elementary schools in Glendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Harold W Smith School ranks #12 of 17 elementary schools in Glendale, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Glendale on the city page.
Is Harold W Smith School a good school?
Harold W Smith School earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Glendale Elementary District (4271)?
Besides Harold W Smith School, Glendale Elementary District (4271) also operates Horizon School (856 students), Challenger Middle School (839 students), and William C Jack School (811 students). See the Glendale Elementary District (4271) 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.