Enrollment
483
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Glendale, AZ
Sweetwater School
Federal NCES profile for Sweetwater School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040906001117
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sweetwater School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Arizona schools.
- #3 of 17
- elementary schools in Glendale · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.5:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 55.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sweetwater School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sweetwater School ranks #3 of 17 elementary schools in Glendale, AZ.
School address
District: Washington Elementary School District (4260) · Arizona
NCES ID 040906001117 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sweetwater School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sweetwater School
Sweetwater School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Glendale, Arizona, enrolling 483 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.5:1, Sweetwater School is leaner than roughly 91% of Arizona schools and 38% under the state's 17:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.8% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 483 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 335 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #34, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (37%) (diversity index 62/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Glendale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Legacy Traditional School ? Glendale (1,280 students): Sweetwater School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Washington Elementary School District (4260) also operates Lookout Mountain School (979 students) and Mountain View Elementary School (903 students) alongside Sweetwater 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 Sweetwater School compares
Sweetwater 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 | 10.5:1 | ▼ 38% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.8% | ▲ 16% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 483 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
483
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 38% below state mean
Top 9% in Arizona - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
55.3%
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
$10,856
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 + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 48.9%
White 37.1%
Two or More 5.4%
African American 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.7%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Sweetwater School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washington Elementary School District (4260), which includes Sweetwater School.
$10,856
Per student
-17%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 45.6%
Federal 24.8%
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 Sweetwater School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lookout Mountain School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Acacia Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orangewood School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palo Verde Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sweetwater School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 979
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Glendale
2 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 (~483 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sweetwater School's federal record.
- Compare Sweetwater School against another school. Compare schools
- Washington Elementary School District (4260)'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 Sweetwater School
How many students attend Sweetwater School?
Sweetwater School has 483 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Glendale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sweetwater School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sweetwater School is 10.5:1, which is 38% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 33% lower 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 Sweetwater School?
55.8% of students at Sweetwater School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sweetwater School?
The largest demographic group at Sweetwater School is Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment, in Glendale, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sweetwater School?
Sweetwater School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sweetwater School rank among elementary schools in Glendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Sweetwater School ranks #3 of 17 elementary schools in Glendale, 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 Glendale on the city page.
Is Sweetwater School a good school?
Sweetwater School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Washington Elementary School District (4260)?
Besides Sweetwater School, Washington Elementary School District (4260) also operates Lookout Mountain School (979 students), Mountain View Elementary School (903 students), and Acacia Elementary School (806 students). See the Washington Elementary School District (4260) 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.