Public schools in Surprise, AZ
Surprise has 33 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 10 high, 1 middle, 19 elementary, 3 other, enrolling 28,127 students. They are run by 14 districts and agencies; Dysart Unified District (4243) runs 17 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 14 districts and agencies that run Surprise's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Surprise | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dysart Unified District (4243) | 17 | 23,173 | $10,550 |
| West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) | 3 | 292 | not reported |
| Paragon Management Inc. (5180) | 2 | 2,794 | $9,051 |
| American Leadership Academy | 1 | 13,070 | $8,818 |
| Legacy Traditional School - Surprise (92879) | 1 | 2,263 | $8,487 |
| Legacy Traditional School - West Surprise (1000560) | 1 | 1,165 | $7,896 |
| Success School (79453) | 1 | 982 | $10,375 |
| Nadaburg Unified School District (4252) | 1 | 1,224 | $11,950 |
| Calibre Academy | 1 | 546 | $8,337 |
| Rosefield Charter Elementary School Inc. (87399) | 1 | 508 | $12,152 |
| Highland Prep (92982) | 1 | 514 | $8,490 |
| E-Institute Charter Schools Inc. (79059) | 1 | 818 | $9,378 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
10 high schools in Surprise, 8,597 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Vista High School | 2,334 | 23.9 | 34.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Shadow Ridge High School | 2,212 | 21.3 | 15.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Willow Canyon High School | 1,901 | 24.4 | 24.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Paradise Honors High School | 1,028 | 17.4 | 9.0% | Paragon Management Inc. (5180) |
| Highland Prep | 505 | 23.0 | 23.0% | Highland Prep (92982) |
| ThrivePoint High School at Surprise | 323 | not reported | not reported | E-Institute Charter Schools Inc. (79059) |
| Imagine Prep Surprise | 251 | 16.7 | 21.7% | Imagine Prep Surprise Inc. (89790) |
| Northwest Campus | 40 | 2.1 | not reported | West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) |
| West-MEC - Valley Vista High School | 2 | not reported | not reported | West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) |
| West-MEC - Willow Canyon High School | 1 | not reported | not reported | West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One middle school in Surprise, 248 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imagine Surprise Middle | 248 | 12.4 | 27.8% | Imagine Middle at Surprise Inc. (88372) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
19 elementary schools in Surprise, 15,851 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Traditional School - Surprise | 1,797 | 46.1 | 17.0% | Legacy Traditional School - Surprise (92879) |
| Paradise Honors Elementary School | 1,264 | 13.3 | 15.0% | Paragon Management Inc. (5180) |
| Legacy Traditional School - West Surprise | 1,231 | 53.5 | 16.0% | Legacy Traditional School - West Surprise (1000560) |
| Canyon Ridge School | 1,042 | 20.5 | 23.9% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Marley Park Elementary | 1,023 | 19.5 | 19.9% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Sunset Hills Elementary | 877 | 19.3 | 32.9% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Asante Preparatory Academy | 876 | 18.3 | 25.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Kingswood Elementary School | 826 | 17.6 | 49.9% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Cimarron Springs Middle School | 810 | 21.3 | 27.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| West Point Elementary School | 797 | 17.9 | 44.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
The other 9 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Peaks Elementary | 763 | 18.1 | 33.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Desert Oasis Elementary School | 753 | 10.4 | 29.9% | Nadaburg Unified |
| Countryside Elementary School | 590 | 14.8 | 40.9% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Rancho Gabriela | 574 | 19.1 | 28.9% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Sonoran Heights Middle School | 560 | 20.7 | 26.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Calibre Academy Surprise | 538 | 18.6 | 33.0% | Calibre Academy |
| Freedom Traditional Academy | 529 | 18.2 | 30.8% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| Imagine Rosefield | 521 | 18.6 | 23.8% | Rosefield Charter Elementary School Inc. (87399) |
| Ashton Ranch Middle School | 480 | 16.6 | 40.0% | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
3 other schools in Surprise, 3,431 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Leadership Academy West Foothills K-12 | 2,276 | 17.0 | not reported | American Leadership Academy |
| Arizona Charter Academy | 1,049 | 18.5 | 55.0% | Success School (79453) |
| Dysart iSchool | 106 | 8.2 | not reported | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Surprise's public schools compare with Arizona's
The median Surprise school has 18.6 students per full-time teacher, more than the Arizona median of 16.8. 27% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 53% across the state. Its median school enrolls 763 students (state 412).
| Surprise | Arizona | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 18.6 | 16.8 |
| Median school size (students) | 763 | 412 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 27% | 53% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 16% | 44% |
| Charter schools | 36% | 26% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 33 Surprise schools and the 2,183 Arizona schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Surprise
- Dysart Unified District (4243)Runs 17 of Surprise's 33 public schools and spent $10,550 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,550
- Valley Vista High School, the largest high school in Surprise2,334 students in 2024-25, 23.9 per teacher.2,334
- Compare Dysart Unified District (4243) with West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923)Surprise's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in ArizonaArizona's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Surprise addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Arizona
Questions about schools in Surprise
How many public schools are in Surprise, AZ?
33 public schools with an address in Surprise were open in 2024-25: 10 high, 1 middle, 19 elementary, 3 other, enrolling 28,127 students. 12 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Surprise?
Valley Vista High School, with 2,334 students in 2024-25 (Dysart Unified District (4243)).Which districts run Surprise's schools?
Dysart Unified District (4243) (17 schools), West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) (3 schools), Paragon Management Inc. (5180) (2 schools), American Leadership Academy (1 school), and 10 more. A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25