Enrollment
591
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Phoenix, AZ
Santa Maria Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Santa Maria Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040306000679
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santa Maria Middle School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Arizona schools.
- #17 of 24
- middle schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.9:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 44.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Santa Maria Middle School has class sizes larger than 86% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Maria Middle School ranks #17 of 24 middle schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Fowler Elementary District (4273) · Arizona
NCES ID 040306000679 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santa Maria Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Santa Maria Middle School
Santa Maria Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 591 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.9:1 is larger than about 86% of Arizona schools and 29% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 591 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 342 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #261, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 591 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Fowler Elementary District (4273) spends $10,395 per pupil, 21% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Phoenix's middle schools, it stands alongside Sonoran Trails Middle School (615 students): Santa Maria Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.9:1 vs 17.6:1).
Fowler Elementary District (4273) also operates Sun Canyon School (563 students) and Western Valley Middle School (553 students) alongside Santa Maria Middle 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 Maria Middle School compares
Santa Maria Middle 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 | 21.9:1 | ▲ 29% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.9% | ▼ 7% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 591 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.9:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
591
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
21.9:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 86% in Arizona - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
56.5%
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
$10,395
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 591 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 76.0%
African American 14.7%
White 4.2%
Two or More 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.8, Santa Maria Middle School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fowler Elementary District (4273), which includes Santa Maria Middle School.
$10,395
Per student
-21%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 45.2%
Federal 13.9%
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 Maria Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Canyon School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Valley Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tuscano Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Western Valley Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sunridge Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Santa Maria Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
Similar middle schools in Phoenix
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~591 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santa Maria Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Santa Maria Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Fowler Elementary District (4273)'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 Maria Middle School
How many students attend Santa Maria Middle School?
Santa Maria Middle School has 591 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Maria Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Santa Maria Middle School is 21.9:1, which is 29% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Santa Maria Middle School?
44.9% of students at Santa Maria Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santa Maria Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Santa Maria Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 76.0% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santa Maria Middle School?
Santa Maria Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Maria Middle School rank among middle schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Maria Middle School ranks #17 of 24 middle schools in Phoenix, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Santa Maria Middle School a good school?
Santa Maria Middle School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Fowler Elementary District (4273)?
Besides Santa Maria Middle School, Fowler Elementary District (4273) also operates Sun Canyon School (563 students), Western Valley Middle School (553 students), and Tuscano Elementary School (532 students). See the Fowler Elementary District (4273) 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.