SE Arizona News

Nogales High School had the highest enrollment among Santa Cruz County schools, welcoming 1,795 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, 50.7% of them were boys, and 49.3% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were Hispanic or Latino, accounting for 99.1% of the Nogales High School's total enrollment.

Among the 24 schools in Santa Cruz County, Rio Rico High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 1,403 students, while Calabasas School welcomed 981 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Nogales High School is part of Nogales Unified District, which roughly covers schools within Santa Cruz County and has a main office in Nogales.

In the previous school year, Nogales High School also had the highest number of students among Santa Cruz 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
Nogales High School	Nogales	1,795
Rio Rico High School	Rio Rico	1,403
Calabasas School	Rio Rico	981
Desert Shadows Middle School	Nogales	765
Wade Carpenter Middle School	Nogales	557
Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School	Nogales	497
Coatimundi Middle School	Rio Rico	447
Lincoln Elementary School	Nogales	415
San Cayetano Elementary School	Rio Rico	404
Mountain View School	Rio Rico	387
Mary L. Welty Elementary School	Nogales	380
Challenger Elementary School	Nogales	375
A. J. Mitchell Elementary School	Nogales	306
Robert Bracker Elementary	Nogales	271
PVHS AOI Program	Nogales	187
Little Red Schoolhouse	Nogales	178
Mexicayotl Charter School	Nogales	165
Pierson High School	Nogales	153
Elgin Elementary School	Elgin	135
Patagonia Elementary School	Patagonia	114
Patagonia Union High School	Patagonia	82
Montessori De Santa Cruz - St. Ann's Hall	Tubac	75
Pinnacle Charter High School	Nogales	58
Patagonia Montessori School	Patagonia	26