East Arizona News

The majority of students in Apache County districts were American Indian or Alaska Native in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Of the 9,949 students attending school districts within Apache County, 72.6% were American Indian or Alaska Native. White students were the second largest ethnicity in Apache County districts (17.5%).

In the previous school year, American Indian or Alaska Native students were also the most common group in Apache County districts, representing 72.5% of the student body.

Concho Elementary District had the most even distribution of races among county districts, which included 63.9% white students, 27.3% Latino students, and 8.2% multiracial students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county increased by 1.4% when compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Apache County.

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

A 2023 study from Scholaroo.com ranked Arizona last out of all U.S. states in terms of educational success, giving the state poor marks for school quality, student success, and teacher-to-student ratio.

District	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Alpine Elementary District	White	76.3%	59
Chinle Unified District	American Indian or Alaska Native	99.1%	3,162
Concho Elementary District	White	63.9%	183
Ganado Unified School District	American Indian or Alaska Native	94.3%	1,159
Red Mesa Unified District	American Indian or Alaska Native	97.3%	480
Round Valley Unified District	White	62.3%	1,376
Sanders Unified District	American Indian or Alaska Native	93.1%	612
St. Johns Unified District	White	62.9%	957
Vernon Elementary District	White	83.7%	123
Window Rock Unified District	American Indian or Alaska Native	99%	1,710