Enrollment
689
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tucson, AZ
Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
Federal NCES profile for Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040022302199Charter school
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #127 of 131
- schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 32.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 689
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson ranks #127 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
NCES ID 040022302199 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
32.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-32% vs state
What stands out at Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 689 students.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 689 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #251, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Daisy Education Corporation Dba Sonoran Science Ac (79049) spends $9,873 per pupil, 25% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Tucson's public schools, it stands alongside Craycroft Elementary School (586 students): Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson is larger than that campus by headcount.
Its district, Daisy Education Corporation Dba Sonoran Science Ac (79049), also runs Sonoran Virtual Academy (69 students).
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 Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson compares
Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.9% | ▼ 32% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 689 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
689
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Engagement
44.1%
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
$9,873
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 41.9%
White 36.4%
Asian 8.0%
African American 6.8%
Two or More 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Daisy Education Corporation Dba Sonoran Science Ac (79049), which includes Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson.
$9,873
Per student
-25%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.9%
State 79.3%
Federal 18.8%
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 Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoran Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 69
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Tucson
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson's federal record.
- Compare Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson against another school. Compare schools
- Daisy Education Corporation Dba Sonoran Science Ac (79049)'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 Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
How many students attend Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson?
Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson has 689 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tucson, AZ.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson?
32.9% of students at Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson?
The largest demographic group at Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson is Hispanic or Latino at 41.9% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson?
Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson rank among schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson ranks #127 of 131 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 schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson a good school?
Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also more 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 Daisy Education Corporation Dba Sonoran Science Ac (79049)?
Besides Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson, Daisy Education Corporation Dba Sonoran Science Ac (79049) also operates Sonoran Virtual Academy (69 students). See the Daisy Education Corporation Dba Sonoran Science Ac (79049) district page for the complete list.
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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.