Enrollment
267
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sanders, AZ
Sanders Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sanders Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040674000572
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sanders Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Sanders · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 81.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sanders Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sanders Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Sanders, AZ.
School address
District: Sanders Unified District (4156) · Arizona
NCES ID 040674000572 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sanders Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sanders Elementary School
Sanders Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sanders, Arizona, enrolling 267 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 81.8% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 267 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 141 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is predominantly American Indian / Alaska Native (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 178 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sanders Unified District (4156) spends $20,044 per pupil, 52% above the Arizona average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 61.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Sanders Unified District (4156) also operates Valley High School (193 students) and Sanders Middle School (164 students) alongside Sanders 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 Sanders Elementary School compares
Sanders 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 25% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.8% | ▲ 69% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 267 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
267
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 19% in Arizona - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
72.7%
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
$20,044
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arizona avg of $13,145
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 178 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 89.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.7, Sanders Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sanders Unified District (4156), which includes Sanders Elementary School.
$20,044
Per student
+52%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
+21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 4.0%
State 34.5%
Federal 61.5%
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 Sanders Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sanders Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sanders Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 193
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 164
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~267 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sanders Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sanders Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sanders Unified District (4156)'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 Sanders Elementary School
How many students attend Sanders Elementary School?
Sanders Elementary School has 267 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sanders, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sanders Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sanders Elementary School is 12.7:1, which is 25% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 19% 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 Sanders Elementary School?
81.8% of students at Sanders Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sanders Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sanders Elementary School is American Indian / Alaska Native at 89.9% of enrollment, in Sanders, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sanders Elementary School?
Sanders Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Sanders Elementary School rank among public schools in Sanders?
By Resource Investment Index, Sanders Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Sanders, 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 Sanders on the city page.
Is Sanders Elementary School a good school?
Sanders Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Sanders Unified District (4156)?
Besides Sanders Elementary School, Sanders Unified District (4156) also operates Valley High School (193 students) and Sanders Middle School (164 students). See the Sanders Unified District (4156) 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.