SE Arizona News

Buena High School had the highest enrollment among Cochise County schools, welcoming 1,753 students during the 2023-24 academic year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 51.6% of them were boys, and 48.4% were girls.

The most represented ethnicity among Buena High School students was white, accounting for 43.1% of the student population.

Among the 59 schools in Cochise County, Douglas High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 1,337 students, while Joyce Clark Middle School welcomed 565 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Buena High School is part of Sierra Vista Unified District, which roughly covers schools within Cochise County and has a main office in Sierra Vista.

In the previous school year, Buena High School also had the highest number of students among Cochise County schools.

According to a recent study by ConsumerAffairs, Arizona ranked last in overall education quality in 2024, placing 51st among U.S. states and Washington, D.C. The state ranked 40th in K-12 performance, 43rd in higher education quality, and 45th in school safety.

However, its most striking issue was school funding, where it ranked 50th. Arizona spent only $11,234 per student in the 2023-24 school year, significantly below the national average of $16,722. This funding gap limits resources, teacher salaries, and infrastructure, contributing to the state’s overall low ranking.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Buena High School	Sierra Vista	1,753
Douglas High School	Douglas	1,337
Joyce Clark Middle School	Sierra Vista	565
Benson Primary School	Benson	516
Leman Academy of Excellence-Sierra Vista	Sierra Vista	511
Tombstone High School	Tombstone	453
Town and Country Elementary School	Sierra Vista	429
Joe Carlson Elementary School	Douglas	428
Coronado Elementary School	Hereford	420
Benson High School	Benson	416
Huachuca Mountain Elementary School	Sierra Vista	409
Willcox High School	Willcox	407
Paul H. Huber Junior High School	Douglas	399
Stevenson Elementary School	Douglas	395
Willcox Elementary School	Willcox	381
Palominas Elementary School	Hereford	376
Center for Academic Success #5	Sierra Vista	373
Ray Borane Middle School	Douglas	372
Village Meadows Elementary School	Sierra Vista	358
Bereran Academy	Sierra Vista	351
Pueblo Del Sol Elementary School	Sierra Vista	344
Clawson School	Douglas	328
Sarah Marley School	Douglas	323
Bisbee High School	Bisbee	322
Carmichael Elementary School	Sierra Vista	298
St. David Elementary School	Saint David	298
Willcox Middle School	Willcox	297
Benson Middle School	Benson	285
Bella Vista Elementary School	Sierra Vista	281
General Myer Elementary School	Fort Huachuca	262
Center for Academic Success, The #3	Douglas	252
Naco Elementary School	Naco	251
Huachuca City School	Tombstone	249
Colonel Smith Middle School	Fort Huachuca	240
Greenway Primary School	Bisbee	226
Center for Academic Success #4	Douglas	208
Omega Alpha Academy School	Douglas	177
Walter J. Meyer School	Tombstone	174
Center for Academic Success the #2	Douglas	167
PPEP TEC - Raul H. Castro Learning Center	Tucson	163
Center for Academic Success the #1	Sierra Vista	138
St. David High School	Saint David	137
Pearce Elementary School	Pearce	135
Faras Elementary School	Douglas	133
Lowell School	Bisbee	116
Pomerene Elementary School	Pomerene	115
Elfrida Elementary School	Elfrida	102
San Simon School	San Simon	98
PPEP TEC - Colin L. Powell Learning Center	Tucson	92
Valley Union High School	Elfrida	86
Cochise Elementary School	Cochise	81
San Pedro Valley Online Academy	Benson	49
Bowie Elementary School	Bowie	39
Double Adobe Elementary School	Mcneal	39
Mcneal Elementary School	Mcneal	39
San Pedro Valley High School	Benson	37
Ash Creek Elementary	Pearce	29
Bowie High School	Bowie	19
Apache Elementary School	Douglas	12