Enrollment
772
Utah · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tooele, UT
Sterling School
Federal NCES profile for Sterling School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 14/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 490105001497
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sterling School earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of Utah schools.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Tooele · Resource Index
- 14
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.8:1
- small classes for Utah
- 31.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Sterling School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Utah schools. Computed live against every Utah school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Tooele, UT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 21.4:1 Utah avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.6%
vs 28.0% Utah avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sterling School compares with Utah and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sterling School
Sterling School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Tooele, Utah, enrolling 772 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Utah schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 31.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 772 puts it in the larger third of Utah schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,065 Utah schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 239 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Utah schools statewide, it ranks #183, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 772 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Tooele's public schools, it stands alongside Copper Canyon School (544 students): Sterling School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.8:1 vs 27.2:1).
Tooele District also operates Stansbury High (2,314 students) and Tooele High (1,900 students) alongside Sterling 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 Sterling School compares
Sterling School on the metrics families compare, against Utah and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Utah | Utah avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.8:1 | ▼ 12% | 21.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.6% | ▲ 13% | 28.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 772 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
772
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% above the Utah average of 28.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 27% in Utah - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.7%
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
$8,137
per pupil, district-wide
- below Utah avg of $9,792
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 772 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.3 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 68.4%
Hispanic or Latino 22.2%
Two or More 5.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Asian 0.6%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 68.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Sterling School is more mixed than the Utah school average of 40.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tooele District, which includes Sterling School.
$8,137
Per student
-17%
vs Utah
Avg $9,792
-51%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.4%
State 63.7%
Federal 8.8%
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 Sterling School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stansbury High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tooele High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grantsville High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clarke N. Johnsen Jr High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tooele Jr High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sterling School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,314
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,094
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 840
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 769
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
Similar other schools in Tooele
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Utah, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~772 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sterling School's federal record.
- Compare Sterling School against another school. Compare schools
- Tooele District'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 Sterling School
How many students attend Sterling School?
Sterling School has 772 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tooele, UT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sterling School is 18.8:1, which is 12% lower than the Utah average of 21.4:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sterling School?
31.6% of students at Sterling School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Utah average of 28.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sterling School?
The largest demographic group at Sterling School is White at 68.4% of enrollment, in Tooele, UT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sterling School?
Sterling School has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (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 Sterling School rank among schools in Tooele?
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Tooele, UT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tooele on the city page.
Is Sterling School a good school?
Sterling School earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of Utah 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 Tooele District?
Besides Sterling School, Tooele District also operates Stansbury High (2,314 students), Tooele High (1,900 students), and Grantsville High (1,094 students). See the Tooele District 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.