Enrollment
575
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Safford, AZ
Ruth Powell Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ruth Powell Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 8/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040724002267
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 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 Powell Elementary School earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Arizona schools.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Safford · Resource Index
- 8
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 42.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ruth Powell Elementary School has class sizes larger than 94% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ruth Powell Elementary School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Safford, AZ.
School address
District: Safford Unified District (4218) · Arizona
NCES ID 040724002267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ruth Powell Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ruth Powell Elementary School
Ruth Powell Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Safford, Arizona, enrolling 575 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25:1 is larger than about 94% of Arizona schools and 47% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 42.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 575 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 343 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #343, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (40%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1742 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Safford Unified District (4218) spends $9,046 per pupil, 31% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Safford Unified District (4218) also operates Safford High School (828 students) and Dorothy Stinson School (539 students) alongside Ruth Powell 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 Ruth Powell Elementary School compares
Ruth Powell 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 | 25:1 | ▲ 47% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.9% | ▼ 11% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 575 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
575
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25:1
students per teacher
- 47% above state mean
Top 94% in Arizona - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
47.7%
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
$9,046
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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 55.5%
White 40.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.0, Ruth Powell Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Safford Unified District (4218), which includes Ruth Powell Elementary School.
$9,046
Per student
-31%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.8%
State 66.4%
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 Powell Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safford High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dorothy Stinson School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lafe Nelson School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Safford Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt Graham High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ruth Powell Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 86
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~575 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ruth Powell Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ruth Powell Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Safford Unified District (4218)'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 Powell Elementary School
How many students attend Ruth Powell Elementary School?
Ruth Powell Elementary School has 575 students enrolled. It is a public school in Safford, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ruth Powell Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ruth Powell Elementary School is 25:1, which is 47% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ruth Powell Elementary School?
42.9% of students at Ruth Powell Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ruth Powell Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ruth Powell Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 55.5% of enrollment, in Safford, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ruth Powell Elementary School?
Ruth Powell Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 8/100 (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 Powell Elementary School rank among public schools in Safford?
By Resource Investment Index, Ruth Powell Elementary School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Safford, 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 Safford on the city page.
Is Ruth Powell Elementary School a good school?
Ruth Powell Elementary School earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 Safford Unified District (4218)?
Besides Ruth Powell Elementary School, Safford Unified District (4218) also operates Safford High School (828 students), Dorothy Stinson School (539 students), and Lafe Nelson School (471 students). See the Safford Unified District (4218) 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.