Enrollment
2,207
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Phoenix, AZ
South Mountain High School
Federal NCES profile for South Mountain High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 040633000552
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Mountain High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona.
- #27 of 65
- high schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 77.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South Mountain High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Mountain High School ranks #27 of 65 high schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Phoenix Union High School District (4286) · Arizona
NCES ID 040633000552 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
111.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Mountain High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Mountain High School
South Mountain High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 2,207 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
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.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,207 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 36/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 315 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Phoenix's high schools, it stands alongside Madison Highland Prep (510 students): South Mountain High School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Phoenix Union High School District (4286) also operates Trevor Browne High School (2,850 students) and Cesar Chavez High School (2,598 students) alongside South Mountain 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 South Mountain High School compares
South Mountain 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 | 19.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.0% | ▲ 59% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,207 | top 2% | - | - |
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.
2,207
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
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.
Funding equity
$11,816
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 315 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
179
in-school suspensions + 207 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.5 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 78.7%
African American 15.0%
White 2.9%
Two or More 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, South Mountain High School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Phoenix Union High School District (4286), which includes South Mountain High School.
$11,816
Per student
-10%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.9%
State 24.1%
Federal 18.0%
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 South Mountain High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Browne High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maryvale High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alhambra High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Camelback High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Mountain High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,850
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,598
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,532
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,106
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools in Phoenix
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Madison Highland Prep
Standard public school
510 students
Arizona Preparatory Academy
Alternative education program
233 students
Ombudsman - Charter West
Alternative education program
176 students
Skyline Prep High School
Alternative education program
167 students
Intelli-School - Paradise Valley
Alternative education program
63 students
Think Through Academy
Standard public school
61 students
Similar high 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 (~2,207 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Mountain High School's federal record.
- Compare South Mountain High School against another school. Compare schools
- Phoenix Union High School District (4286)'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 South Mountain High School
How many students attend South Mountain High School?
South Mountain High School has 2,207 students enrolled. It is a high school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Mountain High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Mountain High 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 South Mountain High School?
77.0% of students at South Mountain High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Mountain High School?
The largest demographic group at South Mountain High School is Hispanic or Latino at 78.7% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Mountain High School?
South Mountain High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Mountain High School rank among high schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, South Mountain High School ranks #27 of 65 high 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 high schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is South Mountain High School a good school?
South Mountain High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona. 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 Phoenix Union High School District (4286)?
Besides South Mountain High School, Phoenix Union High School District (4286) also operates Trevor Browne High School (2,850 students), Cesar Chavez High School (2,598 students), and Maryvale High School (2,532 students). See the Phoenix Union High School District (4286) 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.