Enrollment
422
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tucson, AZ
Santa Clara Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Santa Clara Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040817000739
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santa Clara Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #21 of 54
- elementary schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 77.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Santa Clara Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Clara Elementary School ranks #21 of 54 elementary schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Sunnyside Unified District (4407) · Arizona
NCES ID 040817000739 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santa Clara Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Santa Clara Elementary School
Santa Clara Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 422 students.
At 15.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 77.0% of students qualify for free meals, 59% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 422 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 263 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #112.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (18%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 422 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 75.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sunnyside Unified District (4407) spends $9,713 per pupil, 26% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 32.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Tucson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Los Amigos Elementary School (613 students): Santa Clara Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 17.5:1).
Sunnyside Unified District (4407) also operates Sunnyside High School (2,258 students) and Desert View High School (2,102 students) alongside Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara Elementary School compares
Santa Clara 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 8% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.0% | ▲ 59% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 42% in Arizona - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
75.6%
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
$9,713
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 422 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 73.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 17.8%
White 3.8%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 2.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.2, Santa Clara Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunnyside Unified District (4407), which includes Santa Clara Elementary School.
$9,713
Per student
-26%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 48.9%
Federal 32.5%
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 Santa Clara Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert View High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sierra 2-8 School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gallego Intermediate Fine Arts Magnet School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elvira Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Santa Clara Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,258
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,102
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~422 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santa Clara Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Santa Clara Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sunnyside Unified District (4407)'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 Santa Clara Elementary School
How many students attend Santa Clara Elementary School?
Santa Clara Elementary School has 422 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Clara Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Santa Clara Elementary School is 15.6:1, which is 8% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 1% 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 Santa Clara Elementary School?
77.0% of students at Santa Clara Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santa Clara Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Santa Clara Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 73.0% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santa Clara Elementary School?
Santa Clara Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Santa Clara Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Clara Elementary School ranks #21 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 Santa Clara Elementary School a good school?
Santa Clara Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Sunnyside Unified District (4407)?
Besides Santa Clara Elementary School, Sunnyside Unified District (4407) also operates Sunnyside High School (2,258 students), Desert View High School (2,102 students), and Sierra 2-8 School (801 students). See the Sunnyside Unified District (4407) 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.