Sanders Middle School

Sanders Middle School is a minimally staffed middle-grades school in Sanders, Arizona, run under Sanders Unified District (4156). The school serves 164 students in grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 67% below the state mean of about 494.

Across the 3 schools in Sanders Unified District (4156) (624 students total), Sanders Middle School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Sanders Middle School logs that nearly all students (85%) are Native American. Other groups include 7% Hispanic, 4% multiracial.

On the income-and-resources front, Sanders Middle School records 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 19.3:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 17.8:1 average.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Apache County) shows that median household earnings sit near $41,438, roughly 17% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 25%. In all, Apache County runs 67 public schools (combined enrollment of about 11,525 students), of which Sanders Middle School is one.

The closest other public school is Valley High School, roughly 1.8 miles away. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Sanders Middle School operates from a small-town location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 14%: 191 students in 2018 compared to 164 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share increased from 3% to 7%. Class-load math has rose: from 15.3:1 in 2018 to 19.3:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.