SW Arizona News

There were 278 American Indian or Alaskan Native students enrolled in Yuma County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 0.4% increase over the 277 American Indian or Alaskan Native students in the previous school year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Data showed that Yuma County welcomed 37,966 students at the time. Among them, American Indian or Alaskan Native students made up 0.7% of the student body making them the third least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 62 schools in Yuma County, Valle Del Encanto Learning Center recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian or Alaskan Native students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 38 students, making up 9.1% of the school's total student body.

In 2022 Arizona had roughly one teacher for every 19 students, compared to the national average of one teacher for 16 students. Teachers handling a higher number of students was found to have negative consequences for students' school performance.

WalletHub claimed Arizona’s school system ranked among the worst across U.S. for class size, performance, funding, safety, and instructors' credentials.

Some data provided by the Arizona Department of Education may be incomplete due to the Family and Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

School name	% of American Indian or Alaskan Native Students	Total Enrollment
Kofa High School	1.1%	2,352
Gila Ridge High School	0.8%	2,340
Yuma High School	1.9%	1,142
Somerton Middle School	2.8%	650
Valle Del Encanto Learning Center	9.1%	417