Enrollment
450
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mesa, AZ
Kerr Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kerr Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040497000229
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kerr Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Arizona schools.
- #4 of 26
- elementary schools in Mesa · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 68.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Kerr Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kerr Elementary School ranks #4 of 26 elementary schools in Mesa, AZ.
School address
District: Mesa Unified District (4235) · Arizona
NCES ID 040497000229 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kerr Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kerr Elementary School
Kerr Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Mesa, Arizona, enrolling 450 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 450 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 325 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (13%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 225 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 73.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mesa's elementary schools, it stands alongside Legacy Traditional School - East Mesa (1,066 students): Kerr Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Mesa Unified District (4235) also operates Mountain View High School (3,421 students) and Red Mountain High School (3,379 students) alongside Kerr 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 Kerr Elementary School compares
Kerr 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 24% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.8% | ▲ 42% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
450
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 20% in Arizona - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
73.1%
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
$11,160
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 225 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
34
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.8 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 65.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 12.7%
White 11.8%
African American 4.9%
Two or More 4.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Kerr Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesa Unified District (4235), which includes Kerr Elementary School.
$11,160
Per student
-15%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 44.5%
Federal 18.1%
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 Kerr Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Red Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mesa High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westwood High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dobson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kerr Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,421
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 3,379
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 3,233
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 3,135
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,284
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Mesa
3 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 (~450 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kerr Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kerr Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mesa Unified District (4235)'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 Kerr Elementary School
How many students attend Kerr Elementary School?
Kerr Elementary School has 450 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mesa, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kerr Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kerr Elementary School is 12.9:1, which is 24% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kerr Elementary School?
68.8% of students at Kerr Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kerr Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kerr Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 65.3% of enrollment, in Mesa, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kerr Elementary School?
Kerr Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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).
How does Kerr Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Kerr Elementary School ranks #4 of 26 elementary schools in Mesa, 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 Mesa on the city page.
Is Kerr Elementary School a good school?
Kerr Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Mesa Unified District (4235)?
Besides Kerr Elementary School, Mesa Unified District (4235) also operates Mountain View High School (3,421 students), Red Mountain High School (3,379 students), and Mesa High School (3,233 students). See the Mesa Unified District (4235) 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.