Enrollment
625
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tucson, AZ
Vail Academy & High School
Federal NCES profile for Vail Academy & High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040885001955
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vail Academy & High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #66 of 131
- schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- students per teacher
- 19.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Vail Academy & High School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vail Academy & High School ranks #66 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Vail Unified District (4413) · Arizona
NCES ID 040885001955 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vail Academy & High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vail Academy & High School
Vail Academy & High School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 625 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 19.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 625 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 294 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #99.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (37%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 584 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Vail Unified District (4413) spends $9,396 per pupil, 29% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Tucson's public schools, it stands alongside Craycroft Elementary School (586 students): Vail Academy & High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.9:1 vs 21.7:1).
Vail Unified District (4413) also operates Cienega High School (1,881 students) and Mica Mountain High (1,319 students) alongside Vail Academy & 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 Vail Academy & High School compares
Vail Academy & 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 | 17.9:1 | ▲ 5% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.9% | ▼ 59% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 625 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
625
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 62% in Arizona - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$9,396
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
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 584 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 42.2%
White 36.6%
Two or More 10.6%
African American 7.7%
Asian 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.0, Vail Academy & High School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vail Unified District (4413), which includes Vail Academy & High School.
$9,396
Per student
-29%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 54.2%
Federal 10.0%
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 Vail Academy & High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cienega High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mica Mountain High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Empire High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andrada Polytechnic High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Old Vail Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vail Academy & High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,319
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 836
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar other schools in Tucson
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~625 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vail Academy & High School's federal record.
- Compare Vail Academy & High School against another school. Compare schools
- Vail Unified District (4413)'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 Vail Academy & High School
How many students attend Vail Academy & High School?
Vail Academy & High School has 625 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vail Academy & High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Vail Academy & High School is 17.9:1, which is 5% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vail Academy & High School?
19.9% of students at Vail Academy & High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vail Academy & High School?
The largest demographic group at Vail Academy & High School is Hispanic or Latino at 42.2% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vail Academy & High School?
Vail Academy & High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Vail Academy & High School rank among schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Vail Academy & High School ranks #66 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Vail Academy & High School a good school?
Vail Academy & High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Vail Unified District (4413)?
Besides Vail Academy & High School, Vail Unified District (4413) also operates Cienega High School (1,881 students), Mica Mountain High (1,319 students), and Empire High School (886 students). See the Vail Unified District (4413) 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.