Enrollment
581
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 040399000320
J. O. Combs Middle School — San Tan Valley, AZ
Federal NCES profile for J. O. Combs Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 29/100.
👥 Class size 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: J O Combs Unified School District (4445) · Arizona
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Arizona avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J. O. Combs Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
J. O. Combs Middle School reports 581 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 27.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 24.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 37% above the Arizona state mean of 17.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 53% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 33.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 30% below the Arizona average and 35% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 291 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 58.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding J O Combs Unified School District (4445) spends $9,789 per pupil district-wide, below the Arizona average of $15,070 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.0% from local sources (property taxes), 53.2% from the state, and 14.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How J. O. Combs Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arizona state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.3:1 | ▲ 37% | 17.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.9% | ▼ 30% | 48.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 581 | top 70% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
33.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 30% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.3:1
students per teacher
— 37% above state mean
Top 93% in Arizona — lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
58.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,789
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arizona avg of $15,070
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 291 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
139
in-school suspensions + 94 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 581 Top 70% in Arizona — larger than 30% of 2,186 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 27.0
Students per teacher 24.3:1 +37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 33.9% -30% vs state
NCES ID 040399000320
Student demographics
White 44.6%
Hispanic or Latino 43.5%
African American 5.0%
Two or More 4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 44.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 291:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 58.2%
In-school suspensions 139
Out-of-school suspensions 94
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for J O Combs Unified School District (4445), which includes J. O. Combs Middle School.
$9,789
Per student
-35%
vs Arizona
Avg $15,070
-50%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 32.0%
State 53.2%
Federal 14.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Enrollment
- 382
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
Similar elementary schools in San Tan Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Legacy Traditional-San Tan
Standard public school
749 students
Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy
Standard public school
728 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
American Leadership Academy San Tan Valley K-6
Standard public school
637 students
Champion San Tan
Standard public school
458 students
Happy Valley School East Campus
Standard public school
396 students
Combs Traditional Academy
Standard public school
211 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about J. O. Combs Middle School
How many students attend J. O. Combs Middle School?
J. O. Combs Middle School has 581 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in San Tan Valley, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J. O. Combs Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at J. O. Combs Middle School is 24.3:1, which is 37% higher than the Arizona average of 17.7:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at J. O. Combs Middle School?
33.9% of students at J. O. Combs Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J. O. Combs Middle School?
The largest demographic group at J. O. Combs Middle School is White at 44.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in San Tan Valley, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J. O. Combs Middle School?
J. O. Combs Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.