Other / mixed grade configuration · Mesa, AZ

Salk Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Salk Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040497000394
0/100100/10043/100
👥 S:T ratio
52
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
51
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Salk Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Arizona schools.

#13 of 70
schools in Mesa · Resource Index
43
Resource Index · Typical
12:1
small classes for Arizona
56.8%
free-lunch eligible

Salk Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Salk Elementary School ranks #13 of 70 schools in Mesa, AZ.

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

-23 students YoY

Salk Elementary School held near 540 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-23 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 41.1 → 36.5 across the same CCD years.

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

Steady CCD campus

-23 students YoY 040497000394 · Mesa, AZ Other · SMALL · TRAD

494 enr · 12:1 · 56.8% lunch · RII 43

Nearest enrollment peer: Mountain View High School (3,421 students)

Salk Elementary School held near 540 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-23 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 41.1 → 36.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Arizona schools → · Find another →

Salk Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Salk Elementary School reports 494 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 Salk Elementary School compares

Salk Elementary School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Arizona and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Arizona Arizona avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 12:1 ▼ 29% 17:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 56.8% ▲ 18% 48.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 494 top 40% - -

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

12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
494
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
56.8%
free-lunch eligible - 18% 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
12:1
students per teacher - 29% below state mean
Top 15% in Arizona - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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
$12,121
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 247 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 51.2%
White 28.3%
African American 8.9%
Two or More 6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.0%
Asian 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.2% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 64.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 64.4, Salk Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Mesa Unified District (4235) reports $12,121 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Salk Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Mountain View High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Red Mountain High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Mesa High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Westwood High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Dobson High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

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

Other Schools in This District

Mesa Unified District (4235) · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Mesa

6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

Nationwide other 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.

Frequently asked questions about Salk Elementary School

How many students attend Salk Elementary School?

Salk Elementary School has 494 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mesa, AZ. CCD year-over-year: 563 (2022-23) → 540 (2023-24), nearly flat (-23).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Salk Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Salk Elementary School is 12:1, which is 29% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 24% 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 Salk Elementary School?

56.8% of students at Salk Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salk Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Salk Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 51.2% of enrollment, in Mesa, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.4/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Salk Elementary School?

Salk Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Salk Elementary School rank among schools in Mesa?

By Resource Investment Index, Salk Elementary School ranks #13 of 70 schools in Mesa, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mesa on the city page.

What other schools are in Mesa Unified District (4235)?

Besides Salk Elementary School, Mesa Unified District (4235) also operates Mountain View High School (3,421 students), Red Mountain High School (3,379 students), and Mesa High School (3,233 students). See the Mesa Unified District (4235) district page for the complete list.

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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