Enrollment
782
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mesa, AZ
Poston Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Poston Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040497000409
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Poston Junior High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #5 of 11
- middle schools in Mesa · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- students per teacher
- 48.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Poston Junior High School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Poston Junior High School ranks #5 of 11 middle schools in Mesa, AZ.
School address
District: Mesa Unified District (4235) · Arizona
NCES ID 040497000409 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Poston Junior High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Poston Junior High School
Poston Junior High School is a mid-sized middle school in Mesa, Arizona, enrolling 782 students.
At 16:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 48.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 782 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 275 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (39%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 65.2% 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.
Discipline events run high: 284 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 782 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Mesa Unified District (4235) also operates Mountain View High School (3,421 students) and Red Mountain High School (3,379 students) alongside Poston Junior High 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 Poston Junior High School compares
Poston Junior High 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 6% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.9% | ▲ 1% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 782 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
782
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 45% in Arizona - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
65.2%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
149
in-school suspensions + 135 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 49.1%
White 38.5%
African American 4.5%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.6, Poston Junior High 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 Poston Junior High 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 Poston Junior High 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 | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dobson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Poston Junior High 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 middle 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 (~782 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Poston Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Poston Junior High 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 Poston Junior High School
How many students attend Poston Junior High School?
Poston Junior High School has 782 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mesa, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Poston Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Poston Junior High School is 16:1, which is 6% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 2% higher 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 Poston Junior High School?
48.9% of students at Poston Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Poston Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Poston Junior High School is Hispanic or Latino at 49.1% of enrollment, in Mesa, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Poston Junior High School?
Poston Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Poston Junior High School rank among middle schools in Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Poston Junior High School ranks #5 of 11 middle 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 middle schools in Mesa on the city page.
Is Poston Junior High School a good school?
Poston Junior High School earns 38/100 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 Mesa Unified District (4235)?
Besides Poston Junior High 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.