Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Prekindergarten· 16 schools in district

Sue Sossaman Early Childhood Development Center

18655 E JACARANDA BLVD, QUEEN CREEK, AZ 85142Higley Unified School District (4248) →
Federal DataSpecial Education SchoolGrades PK–PKNon-Charter
77
Students
Total enrolled
$10,123
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 29% vs nat'l
5.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 68% vs nat'l
36/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 28% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 77 students in grades PK–PK in QUEEN CREEK, Arizona.
29% below average funding
District spends $10,123 per pupil, 29% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 36th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Sue Sossaman Early Childhood Development Center is a small prekindergarten in QUEEN CREEK, Arizona, serving grades PK–PK with 77 students. The district invests $10,123 per student — 29% below the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 5.0:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 45% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 36/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Sue Sossaman Early Childhood Development Center

77
Total Students
5.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
45%
Free Lunch
16
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–PK) are served by this school
Gender Distribution45 male · 32 female
58%
42%
Male 58%Female 42%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility45%
National avg 52% · 35 students
Student Composition
64%
23%
Asian1%
White64%
Hispanic / Latino23%
Black4%
Multiracial4%
Native American1%
Pacific Islander3%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 040378003361

Academic Outcomes at Sue Sossaman Early Childhood Development Center

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
36
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 36th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 13th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 85142

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$10,123Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$10,123
State avg
$16,564
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$4,454
Student Support$1,923
Administration$1,215
Operations$1,518
Other$1,012
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $10,123 spent per student, an estimated $4,485 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
49%
40%
State government
48.7%
Local (property tax)
40.1%
Federal programs
11.2%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 5.0:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-average funding — $10,123/student, 29% less than the national average
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (36/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
San Tan ElementaryChaparral Elementary SchoolGateway Pointe ElementaryHigley Traditional Academy
+5 more
↓
Middle
Sossaman Middle SchoolCooley Middle School
↓
High School
Higley High SchoolWilliams Field High School
School Profile
TypeSpecial Education School
LevelPrekindergarten
GradesPK – PK
Location—
CountyMaricopa County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictHigley Unified School District (4248) →
Phone: (480)279-8600
NCES ID: 040378003361
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in QUEEN CREEK seeking a public school, especially those prioritizing smaller class sizes and more individualized teacher access. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Higley Unified School District (4248)
High
Higley High School
2,137 students · 08–12
12% FRL
High
Williams Field High School
2,115 students · 08–12
18% FRL
Mid
Sossaman Middle School
1,043 students · 07–08
● 36 opp13% FRL
Elem
San Tan Elementary
911 students · PK–06
13% FRL
Mid
Cooley Middle School
873 students · 06–08
24% FRL
Elem
Chaparral Elementary School
806 students · KG–08
24% FRL
Elem
Gateway Pointe Elementary
767 students · PK–08
41% FRL
Elem
Higley Traditional Academy
761 students · PK–08
19% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
18655 E JACARANDA BLVD, QUEEN CREEK, AZ 85142
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Prekindergarten
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.