Enrollment
313
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tolleson, AZ
Union Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Union Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040882000908
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Tolleson · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 60.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Elementary School has class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Tolleson, AZ.
School address
District: Union Elementary District (4277) · Arizona
NCES ID 040882000908 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Elementary School
Union Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tolleson, Arizona, enrolling 313 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 313 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 203 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #160, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (75%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Union Elementary District (4277) spends $9,744 per pupil, 26% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 25.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Union Elementary District (4277) also operates Hurley Ranch Elementary (703 students) and Dos Rios Elementary (614 students) alongside Union Elementary 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 Union Elementary School compares
Union Elementary 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 15% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.0% | ▲ 24% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 313 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
313
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 74% in Arizona - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
56.5%
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
$9,744
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 74.8%
African American 17.3%
White 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Two or More 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.9, Union Elementary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union Elementary District (4277), which includes Union Elementary School.
$9,744
Per student
-26%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.4%
State 53.1%
Federal 25.6%
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 Union Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurley Ranch Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dos Rios Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 703
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~313 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Union Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Union Elementary District (4277)'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 Union Elementary School
How many students attend Union Elementary School?
Union Elementary School has 313 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tolleson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary School is 19.6:1, which is 15% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union Elementary School?
60.0% of students at Union Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Union Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 74.8% of enrollment, in Tolleson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Elementary School?
Union Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Union Elementary School rank among schools in Tolleson?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Tolleson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tolleson on the city page.
Is Union Elementary School a good school?
Union Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Union Elementary District (4277)?
Besides Union Elementary School, Union Elementary District (4277) also operates Hurley Ranch Elementary (703 students) and Dos Rios Elementary (614 students). See the Union Elementary District (4277) 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.