Enrollment
545
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Phoenix, AZ
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts
Federal NCES profile for Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040168002904
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Arizona schools.
- #19 of 24
- middle schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.7:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 61.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts has class sizes larger than 91% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts ranks #19 of 24 middle schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Cartwright Elementary District (4282) · Arizona
NCES ID 040168002904 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.7:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 545 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.7:1 is larger than about 91% of Arizona schools and 39% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 545 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 348 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #298, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 545 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 41.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Phoenix's middle schools, it stands alongside Sonoran Trails Middle School (615 students): Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.7:1 vs 17.6:1).
Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students) and Charles W. Harris School (875 students) alongside Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts.
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 Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts compares
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.7:1 | ▲ 39% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.9% | ▲ 28% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 545 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.7:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
545
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
23.7:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 91% in Arizona - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
49.5%
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
$11,851
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 545 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.8 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 85.0%
African American 10.3%
White 2.6%
Two or More 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 85.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.6, Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cartwright Elementary District (4282), which includes Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts.
$11,851
Per student
-10%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.7%
State 42.2%
Federal 41.1%
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 Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Borman School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Charles W. Harris School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Peralta School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manuel Pena Jr. School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sunset School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle schools in Phoenix
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~545 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts's federal record.
- Compare Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts against another school. Compare schools
- Cartwright Elementary District (4282)'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 Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts
How many students attend Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts?
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts has 545 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts is 23.7:1, which is 39% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 51% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts?
61.9% of students at Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts?
The largest demographic group at Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts is Hispanic or Latino at 85.0% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts?
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower 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 Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts rank among middle schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts ranks #19 of 24 middle 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 middle schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts a good school?
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Cartwright Elementary District (4282)?
Besides Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts, Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students), Charles W. Harris School (875 students), and Peralta School (817 students). See the Cartwright Elementary District (4282) 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.