Enrollment
828
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Safford, AZ
Safford High School
Federal NCES profile for Safford High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 040724000624
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Safford High School earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Arizona schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Safford · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 29.6:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 28.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Safford High School has class sizes larger than 98% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Safford High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Safford, AZ.
School address
District: Safford Unified District (4218) · Arizona
NCES ID 040724000624 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+74% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Safford High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Safford High School
Safford High School is a large high school in Safford, Arizona, enrolling 828 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.6:1 is larger than about 98% of Arizona schools and 74% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 828 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 232 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #226, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (39%) (diversity index 52/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 414 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.0% 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 Ruth Powell Elementary School (575 students) and Dorothy Stinson School (539 students) alongside Safford 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 Safford High School compares
Safford 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 | 29.6:1 | ▲ 74% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.0% | ▼ 42% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 828 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.6:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
828
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
29.6:1
students per teacher
- 74% above state mean
Top 98% in Arizona - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
40.0%
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
$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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 414 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.3 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 57.0%
White 39.3%
Two or More 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.0, Safford High School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Safford Unified District (4218), which includes Safford High 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 Safford High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruth Powell Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dorothy Stinson School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lafe Nelson School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Safford Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt Graham High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Safford High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- 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 high 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 (~828 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Safford High School's federal record.
- Compare Safford High 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 Safford High School
How many students attend Safford High School?
Safford High School has 828 students enrolled. It is a high school in Safford, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Safford High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Safford High School is 29.6:1, which is 74% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 89% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Safford High School?
28.0% of students at Safford High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Safford High School?
The largest demographic group at Safford High School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.0% of enrollment, in Safford, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Safford High School?
Safford High School has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Safford High School rank among high schools in Safford?
By Resource Investment Index, Safford High School ranks #3 of 3 high 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 high schools in Safford on the city page.
Is Safford High School a good school?
Safford High School earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Safford High School, Safford Unified District (4218) also operates Ruth Powell Elementary School (575 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.