Enrollment
282
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Phoenix, AZ
Lowell Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lowell Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040630000535
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lowell Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #70 of 179
- schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- students per teacher
- 76.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Lowell Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell Elementary School ranks #70 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Phoenix Elementary District (4256) · Arizona
NCES ID 040630000535 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lowell Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lowell Elementary School
Lowell Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 282 students.
At 17.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 76.9% of students qualify for free meals, 59% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 282 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 169 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #84.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 95.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.4% 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): Lowell Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Phoenix Elementary District (4256) also operates Kenilworth Elementary School (488 students) and Augustus H. Shaw Montessori (476 students) alongside Lowell 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 Lowell Elementary School compares
Lowell 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.9% | ▲ 59% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 282 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
282
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 60% in Arizona - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
95.0%
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
$15,390
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arizona avg of $13,145
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.2 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 12.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
White 1.4%
Two or More 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.5, Lowell Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Phoenix Elementary District (4256), which includes Lowell Elementary School.
$15,390
Per student
+17%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.1%
State 20.5%
Federal 29.4%
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 Lowell Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenilworth Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Augustus H. Shaw Montessori | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whittier Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Silvestre S Herrera School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maie Bartlett Heard School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lowell Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~282 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lowell Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lowell Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Phoenix Elementary District (4256)'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 Lowell Elementary School
How many students attend Lowell Elementary School?
Lowell Elementary School has 282 students enrolled. It is a public school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary School is 17.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lowell Elementary School?
76.9% of students at Lowell Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lowell Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lowell Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 83.0% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lowell Elementary School?
Lowell Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lowell Elementary School rank among schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell Elementary School ranks #70 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 Lowell Elementary School a good school?
Lowell Elementary School earns 33/100 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 Phoenix Elementary District (4256)?
Besides Lowell Elementary School, Phoenix Elementary District (4256) also operates Kenilworth Elementary School (488 students), Augustus H. Shaw Montessori (476 students), and Whittier Elementary School (453 students). See the Phoenix Elementary District (4256) 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.