Enrollment
189
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Phoenix, AZ
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040630000522
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Arizona schools.
- #34 of 179
- schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 58.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 94% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School ranks #34 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Phoenix Elementary District (4256) · Arizona
NCES ID 040630000522 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.7%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 189 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9:1, Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School is leaner than roughly 94% of Arizona schools and 47% under the state's 17:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 189 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 108 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #21.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (12%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 81.0% 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): Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School compares
Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 | 9:1 | ▼ 47% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.7% | ▲ 22% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 189 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
189
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
9:1
students per teacher
- 47% below state mean
Top 6% in Arizona - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
81.0%
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
7
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.2 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 66.1%
White 11.6%
African American 7.4%
Two or More 6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.8%
Asian 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.7, Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 Phoenix Elementary District (4256), which includes Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenilworth Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Augustus H. Shaw Montessori | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whittier Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Silvestre S Herrera School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maie Bartlett Heard School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 (~189 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School
How many students attend Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School has 189 students enrolled. It is a public school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School is 9:1, which is 47% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 43% 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School?
58.7% of students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 66.1% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School rank among schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School ranks #34 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School a good school?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% 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 Phoenix Elementary District (4256)?
Besides Ralph Waldo Emerson 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.