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Lafe Nelson School

Q: Is Lafe Nelson School a good school?

Lafe Nelson School ranks 487 th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

487^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Lafe Nelson School is an elementary school in Safford, Arizona, serving 462 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Safford Unified District, which is ranked 182 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Lafe Nelson School's performance is generally below the state and district averages across various grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were lower than the state and district averages for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with Hispanic and Native American students tending to perform better than the overall school performance, while female, male, and special education students perform worse.

Compared to nearby schools, Lafe Nelson School's performance is generally lower than Dorothy Stinson School and Ruth Powell Elementary School, which are also part of the Safford Unified District. However, it outperforms the more distant Pima Elementary School, which is part of the Pima Unified District. The nearby Discovery Plus Academy, a public charter school, significantly outperforms Lafe Nelson School and the other district schools in test scores.

471

Students ?

22.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$4,681

Per pupil spending ?

55.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1100 S 10th Ave
Safford, AZ 85546-3427

(928) 348-7020

District: Safford Unified District

Students who attend Lafe Nelson School usually attend:

Middle:	Safford Middle School
High:	Safford High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.0%

White:

37.2%

American Indian:

2.1%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Lafe Nelson School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 42nd percentile in 2015 → 46th in 2025

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school37%

District avg36%

Arizona avg38%

487^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to bottom 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Safford Unified District

182^nd of 289Safford Unified District among Arizona districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	37.4	487 of 909	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.6	615 of 912	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.8	483 of 1245	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.4	448 of 1000	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.1	364 of 1226	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	48.6	489 of 1039	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.1	520 of 1109	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	57.1	434 of 1106	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.7	428 of 1079	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	36.0	552 of 955	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.7	544 of 1079	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.9	552 of 1158	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	51.9	553 of 1141	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	50.5	519 of 1075	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.6	554 of 1090	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	45.8	592 of 1062	44.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	41.9	443 of 895	50.5%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	39.5	505 of 975	48.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	21.7	471 of 589	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	51.9	505 of 1219	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	425 of 824	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	74.6	285 of 1219	76.6%	★★★★☆
2019	45.1	436 of 862	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.7	486 of 1023	52.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	51.3	217 of 496	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.8	544 of 1170	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.2	354 of 716	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.8	296 of 1198	75.3%	★★★★☆
2019	54.8	286 of 709	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.8	329 of 911	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	48.2	243 of 549	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	35.4	344 of 556	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.7	385 of 1116	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.3	210 of 618	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.1	390 of 820	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	36.1	380 of 626	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.1	472 of 1216	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.1	473 of 830	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.8	480 of 1220	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.9	490 of 850	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.5	507 of 1032	50.9%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	83.4	62 of 1027	94.0%	★★★★★

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	67.5	30 of 82	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.7	119 of 654	81.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	29.2	604 of 820	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.4	588 of 1201	51.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	57.6	405 of 1024	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.7	417 of 800	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.1	398 of 1161	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.6	478 of 595	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.0	574 of 720	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Multi-racial (2021)94th percentile+24 vs school

Native American (2022)63rd percentile+8 vs school

White (2023)60th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)56th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+9 vs school

African American (2021)51st percentile-20 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)48th percentile-22 vs school

Male (2025)39th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2023)26th percentile-35 vs school

Female (2025)20th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts38%~ state avg

Mathematics37%~ state avg

Science31%-3 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Saturday, October 24, 2009

Lafe Nelson is a wonderful school. It has a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere.The teachers work very hard to provide a good education for all the children. Close Quote

Schools Near Lafe Nelson School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				AASA English Language Arts (2025)				AASA Mathematics (2025)				AzSCI Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Lafe Nelson School	Public	K-6	1100 S 10th Ave	Safford	85546	Graham County	Safford Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 348-7020	471	21	22.4		175 (37.2%)	5 (1.1%)	273 (58.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.7%)	37.4	487^th of 909 public elementary schools	46.4%		26.6	615^th of 912 public elementary schools	32.6%	128	35.0	41.0	32.0	46.0	42.0	38.0	31.0	36.0	31.0	$4,681	$236	$13	$486	$4,138	$294	$4,431
Ruth Powell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1041 S 14th Ave	Safford	85546	Graham County	Safford Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 348-7030	575	28	20.5		231 (40.2%)	5 (0.9%)	319 (55.5%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.6%)	43.2	449^th of 909 public elementary schools	50.6%		36.4	510^th of 912 public elementary schools	44.1%	61	46.0	55.0	40.0	50.0	44.0	35.0	27.0	28.0	30.0	$4,803	$321	$08	$650	$4,301	$173	$4,474
Dorothy Stinson School	Public	PK, KG-6	2013 S 8th Ave	Safford	85546	Graham County	Safford Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 348-7010	539	28	19.2		186 (34.5%)	7 (1.3%)	324 (60.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.8%)	33.7	530^th of 909 public elementary schools	41.7%		38.2	491^st of 912 public elementary schools	46.2%	39	32.0	48.0	24.0	41.0	52.0	35.0	16.0	34.0	25.0	$4,418	$211	$06	$428	$4,021	$180	$4,201
Triumphant Learning Center	Public, Charter	K-8	201 E Main St	Safford	85546	Graham County	Triumphant Learning Center	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 348-8422	101	12	8.4		62 (61.4%)	2 (2.0%)	36 (35.6%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$00			$00
Thatcher Elementary School	Public	3-6	1350 4th Avenue	Thatcher	85552	Graham County	Thatcher Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 348-7250	549	22	25.5		363 (66.1%)	1 (0.2%)	159 (29.0%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.4%)	51.3	378^th of 909 public elementary schools	58.4%		54.7	370^th of 912 public elementary schools	59.4%	8	44.0	66.0	33.0	53.0	46.0	60.0	39.0	27.0	28.0	$4,637	$178	$02	$358	$3,771	$687	$4,457
Jack Daley Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	3615 Second St.	Thatcher	85552	Graham County	Thatcher Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 348-7240	418	25	16.8		281 (67.2%)	1 (0.2%)	118 (28.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.6%)								(n/a)										$6,954	$569	$13	$1,152	$5,841	$530	$6,371
Solomon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	2250 South Stevens Ave.	Solomon	85551	Graham County	Solomon Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 428-0477	179	12	14.9		74 (41.3%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (58.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	55.0				54.0						$00			$00
Pima Elementary School	Public	K-6	131 S. Main Street	Pima	85543	Graham County	Pima Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 387-8051	500	30	16.4		307 (61.4%)	4 (0.8%)	177 (35.4%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	22.8	659^th of 909 public elementary schools	27.5%		29.9	577^th of 912 public elementary schools	36.7%	82	22.0	43.0	24.0	33.0	31.0	39.0	18.0	17.0	28.0	$5,875	$388	$93	$869	$5,308	$86	$5,393
Discovery Plus Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	852 W 250 N	Pima	85543	Graham County	Discovery Plus Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(928) 485-2498	119	8	14.8		102 (85.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	88.5	80^th of 909 public elementary schools	91.2%		86.9	102^nd of 912 public elementary schools	88.8%	22	85.0	84.0	65.0		55.0		65.0				$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Lafe Nelson School

Is Lafe Nelson School a good school?

Lafe Nelson School ranks 487^th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Lafe Nelson School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 471 students attended Lafe Nelson School.

What is the racial makeup of Lafe Nelson School?

Students at Lafe Nelson School are 58% Hispanic, 37% White, 2% American Indian, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Lafe Nelson School attend?

Students who attend Lafe Nelson School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Safford Middle School
High : Safford High School

What district is Lafe Nelson School in?

Safford Unified District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.