Enrollment
318
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tucson, AZ
Safford K-8 School
Federal NCES profile for Safford K-8 School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040880000886
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Safford K-8 School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Arizona schools.
- #2 of 54
- elementary schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 74.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Safford K-8 School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Safford K-8 School ranks #2 of 54 elementary schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Tucson Unified District (4403) · Arizona
NCES ID 040880000886 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Safford K-8 School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Safford K-8 School
Safford K-8 School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 318 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, Safford K-8 School is leaner than roughly 91% of Arizona schools and 39% 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 74.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 318 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 227 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 23.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 67 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 318 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Tucson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Los Amigos Elementary School (613 students): Safford K-8 School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.3:1 vs 17.5:1).
Tucson Unified District (4403) also operates Tucson Magnet High School (2,938 students) and Pueblo High School (1,821 students) alongside Safford K-8 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 K-8 School compares
Safford K-8 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 | 10.3:1 | ▼ 39% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.8% | ▲ 55% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 318 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
318
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 39% below state mean
Top 9% in Arizona - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$11,545
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 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 64 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.1 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 82.1%
African American 8.2%
White 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.8%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.5, Safford K-8 School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tucson Unified District (4403), which includes Safford K-8 School.
$11,545
Per student
-12%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 34.7%
Federal 23.6%
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 K-8 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pueblo High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cholla High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sahuaro High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Catalina Online Learning Experience | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Safford K-8 School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,938
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,821
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,575
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary schools in Tucson
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Los Amigos Elementary School
Standard public school
613 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Sonoran Science Academy East
Standard public school
467 students
Legacy Traditional School - East Tucson
Standard public school
439 students
Summit View Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Da Vinci Tree Academy
Standard public school
265 students
Similar elementary 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 (~318 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Safford K-8 School's federal record.
- Compare Safford K-8 School against another school. Compare schools
- Tucson Unified District (4403)'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 K-8 School
How many students attend Safford K-8 School?
Safford K-8 School has 318 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Safford K-8 School?
The student-teacher ratio at Safford K-8 School is 10.3:1, which is 39% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 34% 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 Safford K-8 School?
74.8% of students at Safford K-8 School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Safford K-8 School?
The largest demographic group at Safford K-8 School is Hispanic or Latino at 82.1% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Safford K-8 School?
Safford K-8 School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Safford K-8 School rank among elementary schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Safford K-8 School ranks #2 of 54 elementary schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Safford K-8 School a good school?
Safford K-8 School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Tucson Unified District (4403)?
Besides Safford K-8 School, Tucson Unified District (4403) also operates Tucson Magnet High School (2,938 students), Pueblo High School (1,821 students), and Cholla High School (1,575 students). See the Tucson Unified District (4403) 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.