Enrollment
745
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tonopah, AZ
Ruth Fisher Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ruth Fisher Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040717000620
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ruth Fisher Middle School earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Arizona schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Tonopah · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.1:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 50.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ruth Fisher Middle School has class sizes larger than 70% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ruth Fisher Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Tonopah, AZ.
School address
NCES ID 040717000620 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ruth Fisher Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ruth Fisher Middle School
Ruth Fisher Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tonopah, Arizona, enrolling 745 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 745 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 290 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #277, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and White (26%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1490 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Saddle Mountain Unified School District (4254) spends $8,894 per pupil, 32% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Saddle Mountain Unified School District (4254) also operates Tonopah Valley High School (869 students) and Winters Well Elementary School (663 students) alongside Ruth Fisher Middle 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 Ruth Fisher Middle School compares
Ruth Fisher Middle 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 | 19.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.9% | ▲ 5% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 745 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.1:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
745
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 70% in Arizona - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
58.9%
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
$8,894
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.4 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 66.7%
White 25.6%
African American 5.1%
Two or More 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Asian 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.7, Ruth Fisher Middle School is about as mixed as the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saddle Mountain Unified School District (4254), which includes Ruth Fisher Middle School.
$8,894
Per student
-32%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-46%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.0%
State 9.1%
Federal 14.8%
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 Ruth Fisher Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonopah Valley High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winters Well Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert Sunset Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tartesso Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ruth Fisher Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 869
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~745 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ruth Fisher Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ruth Fisher Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Saddle Mountain Unified School District (4254)'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 Ruth Fisher Middle School
How many students attend Ruth Fisher Middle School?
Ruth Fisher Middle School has 745 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tonopah, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ruth Fisher Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ruth Fisher Middle School is 19.1:1, which is 12% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ruth Fisher Middle School?
50.9% of students at Ruth Fisher Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ruth Fisher Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ruth Fisher Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 66.7% of enrollment, in Tonopah, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ruth Fisher Middle School?
Ruth Fisher Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (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 Ruth Fisher Middle School rank among public schools in Tonopah?
By Resource Investment Index, Ruth Fisher Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Tonopah, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Tonopah on the city page.
Is Ruth Fisher Middle School a good school?
Ruth Fisher Middle School earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Saddle Mountain Unified School District (4254)?
Besides Ruth Fisher Middle School, Saddle Mountain Unified School District (4254) also operates Tonopah Valley High School (869 students), Winters Well Elementary School (663 students), and Desert Sunset Elementary School (648 students). See the Saddle Mountain Unified School District (4254) district page for the complete list.
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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.