schoolsbycounty

Santa Cruz County Public Schools

Santa Cruz County, Arizona

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

Total Schools

31

public schools

Total Enrollment

10,542

students

School Districts

12

districts

Directory guide

How to use the Santa Cruz County public school directory

Start with the county-level shape, then use the school table for exact records. This directory is built from NCES public school data for Arizona; it is best for narrowing research, checking district context, and finding school records to verify with local sources.

District shape

Santa Cruz County has 12 district entries. Nogales Unified District (4457) is the largest listed district in this county slice, with 11 schools.

Community spread

School records are spread across 11 listed communities. NOGALES has the most listed schools, with 11 records.

Grade-level mix

Primary schools are the largest listed grade-level group, with 16 schools. Filter the table by level before comparing enrollment or district context.

Choice-program flags

NCES flags 8 schools as charter, magnet, or virtual in this county file: 6 charter, 2 virtual. Confirm eligibility and enrollment rules with the relevant district.

Filter before comparing

Search by school or district name, then narrow by grade level or program flag so the table matches the student stage you are researching.

Open profiles where available

3 schools in this county currently have generated profile pages. Listed-only schools still remain in the NCES directory table.

Verify assignment locally

County directories do not determine attendance zones, transfer eligibility, magnet admission, charter lotteries, or program placement.

School Overview

Total Schools

31

in Santa Cruz County

Reported Enrollment

10,542

31 schools reporting

School Districts

12

districts

Charter Schools

6

19% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary16
Middle3
High10
Other2

12 School Districts in Santa Cruz County

Nogales Unified District (4457)

11 schools
5,687 students

Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)

6 schools
3,673 students

Educational Options Foundation (90201)

2 schools
624 students

Kaizen Education Foundation dba Colegio Petite Pho (92989)

1 school
275 students

Mexicayotl Academy Inc. (4463)

2 schools
204 students

Santa Cruz Elementary District (4459)

1 school
183 students

Sonoita Elementary District (4461)

1 school
149 students

Patagonia Elementary District (4460)

1 school
101 students

Patagonia Union High School District (4462)

1 school
79 students

Santa Cruz Valley Opportunities in Education Inc. (79066)

1 school
69 students

31 Public Schools in Santa Cruz County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Level

Showing 20 of 31 matching schools

Nogales High School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,796 students

Rio Rico High School

Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)

Rio Rico, 85648 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,414 students

Calabasas School

Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)

RIO RICO, 85648 / Town: Remote

ProfilePK–8Primary1,006 students

Desert Shadows Middle School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

Nogales, 85621 / Rural: Fringe

Listed only6–8Middle760 students

Wade Carpenter Middle School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed only6–8Middle576 students

Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyKG–5Primary515 students

Coatimundi Middle School

Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)

RIO RICO, 85648 / Town: Remote

Listed only6–8Middle473 students

Lincoln Elementary School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyPK–5Primary438 students

San Cayetano Elementary School

Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)

RIO RICO, 85648 / Rural: Fringe

Listed onlyKG–5Primary393 students

Mountain View School

Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)

RIO RICO, 85648 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyKG–5Primary387 students

Challenger Elementary School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyKG–5Primary374 students

Mary L Welty Elementary School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyKG–5Primary364 students

A J Mitchell Elementary School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyKG–5Primary314 students

Colegio Petite Arizona

Kaizen Education Foundation dba Colegio Petite Pho (92989)

Phoenix, 85020 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyKG–5Charter275 students

Robert Bracker Elementary

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Rural: Fringe

Listed onlyKG–5Primary266 students

Little Red Schoolhouse

Santa Cruz Elementary District (4459)

NOGALES, 85621 / Rural: Fringe

Listed onlyPK–8Primary183 students

Mexicayotl Charter School

Mexicayotl Academy Inc. (4463)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyKG–8Charter166 students

Elgin Elementary School

Sonoita Elementary District (4461)

ELGIN, 85611 / Rural: Distant

Listed onlyPK–8Primary149 students

NUSD Online

Nogales Unified District (4457)

Nogales, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed onlyKG–12Virtual142 students

Pierson High School

Nogales Unified District (4457)

NOGALES, 85621 / Town: Remote

Listed only9–12Alternative142 students

Santa Cruz County school directory FAQ

Does this list show which Santa Cruz County school serves my address?

No. This is a county-level NCES directory for public school records in Arizona. Attendance zones, transfer policies, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, and program placement must be verified with the local district or school.

What is included in the Santa Cruz County public school directory?

The directory lists 31 public schools from NCES records, including school name, district, grade range, type flags, and enrollment where reported.

Does this page rank the best schools in Santa Cruz County?

No. This page is a public school directory, not a ranking or recommendation. Use it to find records, compare similar school types, and identify district sources to verify locally.

Are private schools included in this Santa Cruz County list?

No. SchoolsByCounty uses NCES public school records for this directory. Private schools, homeschool programs, and some local program options are outside this public-school listing.

Why do some Santa Cruz County schools have profiles while others are listed only?

SchoolsByCounty generates profile pages for a high-enrollment subset of school records. 3 schools in this county currently have profile links, while every listed school remains available in the directory table.

How should I compare school districts in Santa Cruz County?

Start with the 12 district entries, then compare schools with similar grade ranges. County-level lists can include district slices, so use district websites to confirm boundaries and program rules.

What do charter or virtual flags mean in this Santa Cruz County directory?

Charter and virtual flags come from NCES school records. They identify school record types, not admission eligibility, transfer availability, or program quality. Confirm application rules and current program status with the district or school.

← Back to Santa Cruz County Education OverviewCounty school score: 28/100

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.