schoolsbycounty

Graham County Schools & Education

Graham County, Arizona

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

20/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

85.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

85.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 81.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,973

National avg $13,239

State avg $5,607

School Score

20/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 14/100

State Score Position

#5

of 15 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Graham County

Measured School Summary

Graham County faces educational challenges with a school score of 20/100 and a graduation rate of 85.6%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,973 per pupil, Graham County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 42% above the Arizona average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 4.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 7% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Graham County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

32 public schools and 10 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

20/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #5 of 15 Arizona counties with school score data.

Completion

85.6%

4.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$5,973

$366 above the state average

School coverage

32

10 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Graham County has 32 public schools across 10 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

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Parent decision brief

What Graham County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Review-carefully county

Graham County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#5

of 15 Arizona counties with school score data. The county score is 6 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Safford Unified District (4218)

Elementary to high school visible

2,943 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 3Other 0

7 listed schools in this county slice.

Thatcher Unified District (4219)

Elementary to high school visible

1,849 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 2Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Pima Unified District (4220)

Elementary to high school visible

1,096 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 2Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Fort Thomas Unified District (4221)

Elementary and high visible

620 students

Elementary 2Middle 0High 1Other 1

4 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Gila Institute for Technology (79387) is the largest listed district slice, with 9 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Graham County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Graham County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Graham County, Arizona

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Graham County's Focused School Network

Graham County supports 7,128 students across 32 public schools and 10 districts. The system is balanced with 12 elementary and 15 high schools, providing a clear path through the K-12 years. Education here is centralized in town settings, serving as the heart of the local community.

Safford and Thatcher Lead the Way

Safford Unified is the largest district, educating 2,943 students across 7 schools. Thatcher Unified follows closely with 1,849 students and 5 schools in its system. Charter schools represent a small niche in the county, making up just 6.3% of the total school landscape.

A Classic Small-Town School Feel

With 24 of its 32 schools located in town settings, the county offers a classic community-centric education. The average school size is 264 students, with Safford High being the largest hub at 836 students. Only 8 schools are located in rural areas, making most campuses easy to access for residents.

School Overview

Total Schools

32

in Graham County

Reported Enrollment

7,128

32 schools reporting

School Districts

10

districts

Charter Schools

2

6% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary12
Middle3
High15
Other2

10 School Districts in Graham County

Safford Unified District (4218)

7 schools
2,943 students

Thatcher Unified District (4219)

5 schools
1,849 students

Pima Unified District (4220)

4 schools
1,096 students

Fort Thomas Unified District (4221)

4 schools
620 students

Solomon Elementary District (4222)

1 school
197 students

Discovery Plus Academy (6357)

1 school
106 students

Bonita Elementary District (4224)

1 school
103 students

Triumphant Learning Center (4225)

1 school
99 students

Graham County Special Services (4217)

1 school
95 students

Gila Institute for Technology (79387)

9 schools
20 students

32 Public Schools in Graham County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 20 of 32 matching schools

Safford High School

Safford Unified District (4218)

SAFFORD, 85546 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High836 students

Dorothy Stinson School

Safford Unified District (4218)

SAFFORD, 85546 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–6Primary583 students

Thatcher High School

Thatcher Unified District (4219)

THATCHER, 85552 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High558 students

Thatcher Elementary School

Thatcher Unified District (4219)

THATCHER, 85552 / Town: Remote

Record3–6Primary541 students

Pima Elementary School

Pima Unified District (4220)

PIMA, 85543 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–6Primary539 students

Ruth Powell Elementary School

Safford Unified District (4218)

SAFFORD, 85546 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary529 students

Lafe Nelson School

Safford Unified District (4218)

SAFFORD, 85546 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–6Primary455 students

Safford Middle School

Safford Unified District (4218)

SAFFORD, 85546 / Town: Remote

Record7–8Middle449 students

Jack Daley Primary School

Thatcher Unified District (4219)

THATCHER, 85552 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–2Primary433 students

Pima High School

Pima Unified District (4220)

PIMA, 85543 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High352 students

Thatcher Middle School

Thatcher Unified District (4219)

THATCHER, 85552 / Town: Remote

Record7–8Middle290 students

Fort Thomas High School

Fort Thomas Unified District (4221)

Fort Thomas, 85536 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High252 students

Fort Thomas Elementary School

Fort Thomas Unified District (4221)

FORT THOMAS, 85536 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary221 students

Solomon Elementary School

Solomon Elementary District (4222)

SOLOMON, 85551 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary197 students

Pima Junior High School

Pima Unified District (4220)

PIMA, 85543 / Town: Remote

Record7–8Middle194 students

Mt. Turnbull Elementary School

Fort Thomas Unified District (4221)

BYLAS, 85530 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary119 students

Discovery Plus Academy

Discovery Plus Academy (6357)

PIMA, 85543 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Charter106 students

Bonita Elementary School

Bonita Elementary District (4224)

WILLCOX, 85643 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary103 students

Triumphant Learning Center

Triumphant Learning Center (4225)

SAFFORD, 85546 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–8Charter99 students

Dan Hinton Accommodation School

Graham County Special Services (4217)

PIMA, 85543 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–12Other95 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,973

State avg $5,607

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Graham County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

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Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which Arizona counties have the highest graduation rates?
Santa Cruz County (90.2%), Yuma County (88.7%), and Cochise County (85.8%) currently lead Arizona among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Arizona?
Across Arizona counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $5,607. The highest current county values are Apache County ($7,209), Gila County ($6,379), and La Paz County ($6,344). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Graham County?
Graham County has a school score of 20/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Graham County?
The high school graduation rate in Graham County is 85.6%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Graham County spend per student?
Graham County spends $5,973 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Graham County, Arizona — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Graham County, Arizona?

Graham County supports 7,128 students across 32 public schools and 10 districts. The system is balanced with 12 elementary and 15 high schools, providing a clear path through the K-12 years. Education here is centralized in town settings, serving as the heart of the local community.

What are the major school districts in Graham County, Arizona?

Safford Unified is the largest district, educating 2,943 students across 7 schools. Thatcher Unified follows closely with 1,849 students and 5 schools in its system. Charter schools represent a small niche in the county, making up just 6.3% of the total school landscape.

What is the school experience like in Graham County?

With 24 of its 32 schools located in town settings, the county offers a classic community-centric education. The average school size is 264 students, with Safford High being the largest hub at 836 students. Only 8 schools are located in rural areas, making most campuses easy to access for residents.

Counties with Similar School Profile

La Paz County

Arizona

+0 pts

20/100

School score

Yuma County

Arizona

+2 pts

22/100

School score

Coconino County

Arizona

-3 pts

17/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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