Enrollment
460
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tucson, AZ
Picture Rocks Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Picture Rocks Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040463001164
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Picture Rocks Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Arizona schools.
- #38 of 131
- schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 55.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Picture Rocks Elementary has class sizes smaller than 86% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Picture Rocks Elementary ranks #38 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Marana Unified District (4404) · Arizona
NCES ID 040463001164 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Picture Rocks Elementary compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Picture Rocks Elementary
Picture Rocks Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 460 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.8:1, Picture Rocks Elementary is leaner than roughly 86% of Arizona schools and 31% under the state's 17:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.0% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 460 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 320 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #45.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 53/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 78.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Marana Unified District (4404) spends $9,931 per pupil, 24% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Tucson's public schools, it stands alongside Craycroft Elementary School (586 students): Picture Rocks Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 21.7:1).
Marana Unified District (4404) also operates Marana High School (2,437 students) and Mountain View High School (1,827 students) alongside Picture Rocks Elementary.
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 Picture Rocks Elementary compares
Picture Rocks Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 31% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.0% | ▲ 14% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 460 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
460
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 14% in Arizona - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
78.0%
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
$9,931
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
34
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 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
White 58.9%
Hispanic or Latino 34.6%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.2, Picture Rocks Elementary is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Marana Unified District (4404), which includes Picture Rocks Elementary.
$9,931
Per student
-24%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 43.4%
Federal 14.2%
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 Picture Rocks Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marana High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dove Mountain K-8 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marana Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Twin Peaks Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Picture Rocks Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,437
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,827
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,004
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 941
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Tucson
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~460 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Picture Rocks Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Picture Rocks Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Marana Unified District (4404)'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 Picture Rocks Elementary
How many students attend Picture Rocks Elementary?
Picture Rocks Elementary has 460 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Picture Rocks Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Picture Rocks Elementary is 11.8:1, which is 31% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 25% 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 Picture Rocks Elementary?
55.0% of students at Picture Rocks Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Picture Rocks Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Picture Rocks Elementary is White at 58.9% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Picture Rocks Elementary?
Picture Rocks Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Picture Rocks Elementary rank among schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Picture Rocks Elementary ranks #38 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Picture Rocks Elementary a good school?
Picture Rocks Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Marana Unified District (4404)?
Besides Picture Rocks Elementary, Marana Unified District (4404) also operates Marana High School (2,437 students), Mountain View High School (1,827 students), and Dove Mountain K-8 (1,004 students). See the Marana Unified District (4404) 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.