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School district · Arizona · LEAID 0406740

Sanders Unified District (4156)

Sanders Unified District (4156) is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Arizona districts (616 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Sanders Unified District (4156) come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$70,891
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$26,471
Per-pupil spending
616
Students enrolled
82nd
Pct. in AZ
$70,891

Sanders Unified District (4156) is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Arizona districts (616 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $70,891, near the national average of $70,245, serving 616 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Sanders Unified District (4156) is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Arizona districts (616 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 82nd percentile for Arizona
  • 61st percentile nationally
  • 23% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Arizona ranks #29 of 49 on the salary estimate and #16 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Sanders Unified District (4156) ranks #25 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #7 of 152 by per-pupil spending. Safford Unified District (4218) pay #1 at $99,366 is not Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spending #1 at $38,950 per pupil
  • +42.8% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Arizona median

Among 213 Arizona districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Sanders Unified District (4156)'s instructional payroll puts 8.1% into vocational programs , 6.4 points above the state median of 1.7%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical Arizona peer.

Program Sanders Unified AZ median Gap
Regular program 79.9% 84.0% -4.0 pp
Special education 12.0% 10.8% +1.2 pp
Vocational programs 8.1% 1.7% +6.4 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 213 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0406740 · FY2023.

LEAID 0406740 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Sanders Unified F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +11% vs state RANK-ST-MID P82 in state RANK-NAT-MID P61 national PPE-HIGH $26K/pupil ENR-SMALL 616 students INSTR-LOW 23% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Palo FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $70,891 estimated average teacher salary · P82 in Arizona · P61 nationally · 23% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Avondale ($905est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Sanders Unified

Salary neighbourhood · Sanders Unified

Sanders Unified already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Sanders Unified

Sanders Unified District (4156)'s estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$70,891 Top 39% higher than 61% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. This district $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Sanders Unified in Arizona's upper-third pay band

Same 152 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Sanders Unified District (4156) ranks #25 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #7 of 152 by per-pupil spending. Safford Unified District (4218) pay #1 at $99,366 is not Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spending #1 at $38,950 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Sanders Unified District (4156) is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Red Mesa Unified District (4159) leads spending at $38,950 per pupil; Safford Unified District (4218) leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Sanders Unified District (4156)

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +42.8% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Arizona's statewide +25.8% by 17.0 points, a growth rate faster than 83% of the 199 Arizona districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 683 to 616 students (9.8% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $26,471 is among the highest in the nation.

Arizona sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$70,891.304

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Arizona price level
100.7 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$70,369

-1% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Arizona sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Arizona compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Sanders Unified District (4156)

What the Numbers Say About Sanders Unified District (4156)

Sanders Unified District (4156) is a small school district in Arizona, serving 616 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $26,471. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $70,891, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0406740 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Arizona statewide average of $63,921, teacher pay in Sanders Unified District (4156) runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 10.9% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (0.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in Arizona, it pays more than 82% of them. Arizona itself ranks #29 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Sanders Unified District (4156) reports $16.3M in total expenditure against $16.6M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 23% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $2.6M, special-education teacher pay is $0.4M.

How does Sanders Unified District (4156) compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Arizona average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Sanders Unified District (4156) $70,891
Mesa Unified District (4235) $67,420
Arizona avg $63,921
National avg $70,245

Sanders Unified District (4156) pays +5.1% more than Mesa Unified District (4235) · per-pupil $26,471 vs $14,903

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Arizona districts

On pay, Sanders Unified District (4156) sits closest to Palo Verde Elementary District (4275); on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Grand Canyon Unified District (4194). These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Palo Verde Elementary District (4275)
  2. Baboquivari Unified School District #40 (4412)
  3. Naco Elementary District (4176)
  4. Colorado City Unified District (4370)
  5. Ash Fork Joint Unified District (4471)
  6. Fort Thomas Unified District (4221)
  7. Window Rock Unified District (4154)
  8. Ajo Unified District (4409)
  9. Pima Unified District (4220)
  10. Mingus Union High School District (4488)
  11. Santa Cruz Valley Union High School District (4454)
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Grand Canyon Unified District (4194)
  2. Baboquivari Unified School District #40 (4412)
  3. Ajo Unified District (4409)
  4. Pinon Unified District (4390)
  5. Nadaburg Unified School District (4252)
  6. Beaver Creek Elementary District (4481)
  7. Kayenta Unified School District #27 (4396)
  8. Mary C O'Brien Accommodation District (4435)
  9. Continental Elementary District (4416)
  10. Altar Valley Elementary District (4418)
  11. Colorado City Unified District (4370)

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Sanders Unified District (4156)'s smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Sanders Unified District (4156): closest on enrollment (616 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($70,891 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$16.6M
Total Revenue
$16.3M
Total Expenditure
$3.8M
Instruction Salaries
23% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$2.6M
Regular Program
$0.4M
Special Education
$0.3M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Sanders Unified District (4156): the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 87% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 13% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Arizona Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Arizona districts belongs to Safford Unified District (4218) at $99,366. Sanders Unified District (4156) sits in the upper quarter of that field at 21 of 128, nearer the ceiling than the floor. On BEA's price parity Arizona sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Virginia and Colorado are its nearest price peers.

View all Arizona districts →

Other Arizona Districts

Smaller-district sample from 153 Arizona peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

St David Unified District (4173)
$41,414
406 students
Ajo Unified District (4409)
$69,838
391 students
Duncan Unified District (4228)
$57,897
390 students
Stanfield Elementary District (4451)
$65,000
386 students
Oracle Elementary District (4444)
$47,414
369 students
Tombstone Unified District (4168)
$61,770
864 students

This is a sample of 6 from 153 Arizona districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sanders Unified District (4156)
What is the average teacher salary in Sanders Unified District (4156)?

The average teacher salary in Sanders Unified District (4156) is $70,891 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Sanders Unified District (4156) teacher pay compare to the Arizona average?

Sanders Unified District (4156) pays 10.9% more than the Arizona state average of $63,921. The district's average is $70,891.

How does Sanders Unified District (4156) teacher pay compare to the national average?

Sanders Unified District (4156) pays 0.9% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $70,891.

What is the per-pupil spending in Sanders Unified District (4156)?

Sanders Unified District (4156) spends approximately $26,471 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Sanders Unified District (4156)'s budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 23% of Sanders Unified District (4156)'s total expenditure of $16.3M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Sanders Unified District (4156)
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Sanders Unified District (4156)'s salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.