Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 90 schools in district

Palo Verde High Magnet School

1302 S AVENIDA VEGA, TUCSON, AZ 85710Tucson Unified District (4403)
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 0812Non-Charter
691
Students
Total enrolled
85%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$13,118
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
9% vs nat'l
13.1 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
15% vs nat'l
44/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
12% vs nat'l
Mid-sized public school
Serves 691 students in grades 08–12 in TUCSON, Arizona.
9% below average funding
District spends $13,118 per pupil, 9% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 44th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Palo Verde High Magnet School is a large high in TUCSON, Arizona, serving grades 08–12 with 691 students. The district invests $13,118 per student — 9% below the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 65% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Palo Verde High Magnet School

691
Total Students
13.1 : 1
Student:Teacher
65%
Free Lunch
53
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (0812) are served by this school
Gender Distribution379 male · 312 female
55%
45%
Male 55%Female 45%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility65%
National avg 52% · 448 students
Student Composition
26%
49%
14%
Asian2%
White26%
Hispanic / Latino49%
Black14%
Multiracial5%
Native American3%
Pacific Islander1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 040880001263

Academic Outcomes at Palo Verde High Magnet School

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
85
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
85%
State avg
70%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
44
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 44th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 50th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 85710

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$13,118Near avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$13,118
State avg
$16,564
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,772
Student Support$2,492
Administration$1,574
Operations$1,968
Other$1,312
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $13,118 spent per student, an estimated $5,811 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
35%
42%
State government
34.6%
Local (property tax)
41.8%
Federal programs
23.6%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 85% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades08 – 12
Location
CountyPima County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (520)584-7400
NCES ID: 040880001263
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in TUCSON seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing smaller class sizes and more individualized teacher access. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

Location
1302 S AVENIDA VEGA, TUCSON, AZ 85710
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.