Enrollment
1,094
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Queen Creek, AZ
Sossaman Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sossaman Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040378003401
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 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
Sossaman Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Queen Creek · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 8.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sossaman Middle School has class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sossaman Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Queen Creek, AZ.
School address
District: Higley Unified School District (4248) · Arizona
NCES ID 040378003401 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sossaman Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sossaman Middle School
Sossaman Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Queen Creek, Arizona, enrolling 1,094 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.9% free-meal eligibility runs 82% below the Arizona average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,094 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 125 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #100, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 547 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Higley Unified School District (4248) spends $8,545 per pupil, 35% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Higley Unified School District (4248) also operates Williams Field High School (2,150 students) and Higley High School (2,005 students) alongside Sossaman 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 Sossaman Middle School compares
Sossaman 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 | 19.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.9% | ▼ 82% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,094 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,094
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 76% in Arizona - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.8%
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
$8,545
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 547 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 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 65.9%
Hispanic or Latino 21.5%
Two or More 5.8%
African American 3.2%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.4, Sossaman Middle School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Higley Unified School District (4248), which includes Sossaman Middle School.
$8,545
Per student
-35%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.1%
State 48.7%
Federal 11.2%
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 Sossaman Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams Field High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Higley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Tan Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cooley Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bridges Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sossaman Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,150
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,005
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 770
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~1,094 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sossaman Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sossaman Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Higley Unified School District (4248)'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 Sossaman Middle School
How many students attend Sossaman Middle School?
Sossaman Middle School has 1,094 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Queen Creek, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sossaman Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sossaman Middle School is 19.9:1, which is 17% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sossaman Middle School?
8.9% of students at Sossaman Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sossaman Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sossaman Middle School is White at 65.9% of enrollment, in Queen Creek, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sossaman Middle School?
Sossaman Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Sossaman Middle School rank among middle schools in Queen Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Sossaman Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Queen Creek, 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 Queen Creek on the city page.
Is Sossaman Middle School a good school?
Sossaman Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Higley Unified School District (4248)?
Besides Sossaman Middle School, Higley Unified School District (4248) also operates Williams Field High School (2,150 students), Higley High School (2,005 students), and San Tan Elementary (854 students). See the Higley Unified School District (4248) 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.