Other / mixed grade configuration · San Tan Valley, AZ

Walker Butte K-8

Federal NCES profile for Walker Butte K-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040292002210
0/100100/10037/100
👥 S:T ratio
38
🌟 Gifted program
70
📋 Attendance
4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Walker Butte K-8 earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.

#3 of 9
schools in San Tan Valley · Resource Index
37
Resource Index · Typical
15.6:1
students per teacher
45.9%
free-lunch eligible

Walker Butte K-8 has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Walker Butte K-8 ranks #3 of 9 schools in San Tan Valley, AZ.

Enrollment

718

Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

46.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

15.6:1

vs 17:1 Arizona avg

-8% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

45.9%

vs 48.3% Arizona avg

-5% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Walker Butte K-8 compares with Arizona and U.S. medians

At or below state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Walker Butte K-8

Walker Butte K-8 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in San Tan Valley, Arizona, enrolling 718 students.

At 15.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.

Its free-meal eligibility rate of 45.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.

Enrollment of 718 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 308 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #53.

Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%) (diversity index 66/100).

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Florence Unified School District (4437) spends $8,692 per pupil, 34% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.

Among San Tan Valley's public schools, it stands alongside American Leadership Academy Ironwood K12 (2,084 students): Walker Butte K-8 is smaller than that campus by headcount.

Florence Unified School District (4437) also operates Poston Butte High School (1,310 students) and Florence High School (857 students) alongside Walker Butte K-8.

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 Walker Butte K-8 compares

Walker Butte K-8 on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Arizona Arizona avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 15.6:1 ▼ 8% 17:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 45.9% ▼ 5% 48.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 718 top 20% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
718
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
45.9%
free-lunch eligible - 5% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher - 8% below state mean
Top 42% in Arizona - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.3%
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
$8,692
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
14
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 42.1%
Hispanic or Latino 39.4%
African American 7.0%
Two or More 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.8%
Asian 0.8%

Largest group: White at 42.1% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 65.8/100

Simpson diversity index - at 65.8, Walker Butte K-8 is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Florence Unified School District (4437), which includes Walker Butte K-8.

$8,692
Per student
-34%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-48%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 52.4%
Federal 16.0%

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 Walker Butte K-8 Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Poston Butte High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Florence High School Similar size Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Florence K-8 Similar size Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
San Tan Foothills High School Similar size Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Circle Cross K8 Stem Academy Similar size Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Walker Butte K-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Florence Unified School District (4437) · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in San Tan Valley

6 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Walker Butte K-8's federal record.

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 Walker Butte K-8

How many students attend Walker Butte K-8?

Walker Butte K-8 has 718 students enrolled. It is a public school in San Tan Valley, AZ.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Walker Butte K-8?

The student-teacher ratio at Walker Butte K-8 is 15.6:1, which is 8% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 1% 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 Walker Butte K-8?

45.9% of students at Walker Butte K-8 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walker Butte K-8?

The largest demographic group at Walker Butte K-8 is White at 42.1% of enrollment, in San Tan Valley, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.8/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Walker Butte K-8?

Walker Butte K-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Walker Butte K-8 rank among schools in San Tan Valley?

By Resource Investment Index, Walker Butte K-8 ranks #3 of 9 schools in San Tan Valley, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in San Tan Valley on the city page.

Is Walker Butte K-8 a good school?

Walker Butte K-8 earns 37/100 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 Florence Unified School District (4437)?

Besides Walker Butte K-8, Florence Unified School District (4437) also operates Poston Butte High School (1,310 students), Florence High School (857 students), and Florence K-8 (805 students). See the Florence Unified School District (4437) district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.