Enrollment
581
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mesa, AZ
Shepherd Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Shepherd Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040497001376
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shepherd Junior High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #5 of 26
- elementary schools in Mesa · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- students per teacher
- 24.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Shepherd Junior High School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shepherd Junior High School ranks #5 of 26 elementary schools in Mesa, AZ.
School address
District: Mesa Unified District (4235) · Arizona
NCES ID 040497001376 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shepherd Junior High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shepherd Junior High School
Shepherd Junior High School is a mid-sized elementary school in Mesa, Arizona, enrolling 581 students.
At 17.6:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 581 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 279 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #97.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 291 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mesa's elementary schools, it stands alongside Legacy Traditional School - East Mesa (1,066 students): Shepherd Junior High School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Mesa Unified District (4235) also operates Mountain View High School (3,421 students) and Red Mountain High School (3,379 students) alongside Shepherd Junior High 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 Shepherd Junior High School compares
Shepherd Junior High 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.9% | ▼ 48% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 581 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
581
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 60% in Arizona - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.6%
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
$11,160
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 291 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 54 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.2 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
White 62.1%
Hispanic or Latino 27.9%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 62.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.3, Shepherd Junior High School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesa Unified District (4235), which includes Shepherd Junior High School.
$11,160
Per student
-15%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 44.5%
Federal 18.1%
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 Shepherd Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Red Mountain High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mesa High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westwood High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dobson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shepherd Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,421
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 3,379
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 3,233
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 3,135
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,284
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Mesa
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~581 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shepherd Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Shepherd Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Mesa Unified District (4235)'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 Shepherd Junior High School
How many students attend Shepherd Junior High School?
Shepherd Junior High School has 581 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mesa, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shepherd Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shepherd Junior High School is 17.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Shepherd Junior High School?
24.9% of students at Shepherd Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shepherd Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Shepherd Junior High School is White at 62.1% of enrollment, in Mesa, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shepherd Junior High School?
Shepherd Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Shepherd Junior High School rank among elementary schools in Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Shepherd Junior High School ranks #5 of 26 elementary 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 elementary schools in Mesa on the city page.
Is Shepherd Junior High School a good school?
Shepherd Junior High School earns 35/100 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 Mesa Unified District (4235)?
Besides Shepherd Junior High 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.
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.