Middle school (grades 6-8) · Safford, AZ

Safford Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Safford Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040724001029
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10017/100
👥 S:T ratio
21
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Safford Middle School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools.

#3 of 8
public schools in Safford · Resource Index
17
Resource Index · Lower
19.7:1
large classes for Arizona
43.0%
free-lunch eligible

Safford Middle School has class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Safford Middle School ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Safford, AZ.

School address

Safford, AZ 85546
District: Safford Unified District (4218) · Arizona

NCES ID 040724001029 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-38 students YoY

Safford Middle School shrank from 449 students in 2022-23 to 411 in 2023-24 (-8.5%).

Teacher FTE lost 19.0 → 18.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-38 students YoY 040724001029 · Safford, AZ Middle · SMALL · TRAD

375 enr · 19.7:1 · 43.0% lunch · RII 17

Nearest enrollment peer: Safford High School (828 students)

Safford Middle School shrank from 449 students in 2022-23 to 411 in 2023-24 (-8.5%). Teacher FTE lost 19.0 → 18.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Arizona schools → · Find another →

Safford Middle School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Safford Middle School reports 375 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Safford Middle School compares

Safford Middle School is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Arizona and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Arizona Arizona avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 19.7:1 ▲ 16% 17:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 43.0% ▼ 11% 48.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 375 top 55% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
375
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
43.0%
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
19.7:1
students per teacher - 16% above state mean
Top 74% in Arizona - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
76.5%
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
$10,262
per pupil, district-wide - below Arizona avg of $13,502
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 73 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 54.1%
White 40.5%
Two or More 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.3%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.1% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 54.2/100

Simpson diversity index - at 54.2, Safford Middle School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.

Programs

District finance for Safford Unified District (4218) reports $10,262 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Safford Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Safford High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Ruth Powell Elementary School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Dorothy Stinson School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Lafe Nelson School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Mt Graham High School Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Safford Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Safford Unified District (4218) · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~375 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)

Frequently asked questions about Safford Middle School

How many students attend Safford Middle School?

Safford Middle School has 375 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Safford, AZ. CCD year-over-year: 449 (2022-23) → 411 (2023-24), down 38.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Safford Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Safford Middle School is 19.7:1, which is 16% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Safford Middle School?

43.0% of students at Safford Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Safford Middle School?

The largest demographic group at Safford Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 54.1% of enrollment, in Safford, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.2/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Safford Middle School?

Safford Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Safford Middle School rank among public schools in Safford?

By Resource Investment Index, Safford Middle School ranks #3 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.

What other schools are in Safford Unified District (4218)?

Besides Safford Middle School, Safford Unified District (4218) also operates Safford High School (828 students), Ruth Powell Elementary School (575 students), and Dorothy Stinson School (539 students). See the Safford Unified District (4218) district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .