Sun Prairie Area School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin - 16 schools

An equity score of 52/100 ranks Sun Prairie Area School District #190 of 403 districts in Wisconsin (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,670 per pupil, Sun Prairie Area School District ranks #176 of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending (Wisconsin districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

8,350
Total Enrollment
16
Schools
$14,670
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sun Prairie Area School District operates 16 public schools serving 8,350 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Wisconsin. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 combined, 3 high, 3 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Dane County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,670 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending. See how Wisconsin compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 49.0% local, 43.6% state, and 7.4% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 52/100, ranked #190 of 403 in Wisconsin against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (21 AP courses district-wide), a 376.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.1% White, 14.9% African American, 12.4% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Meadow View Elementary, with a diversity index of 78.4/100.

Its largest campus is Sun Prairie East High, enrolling 1,340 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Prairie Phoenix Academy, at 88 students, a 15x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Sun Prairie East High accounts for 15.7% of all Sun Prairie Area School District student enrollment

That concentration means Sun Prairie Area School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Sun Prairie Area School District school enrollment varies 15× across entities

Sun Prairie Area School District school enrollment ranges from 88 students (lowest) to 1,340 students (highest), a spread of 1,252 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Sun Prairie Area School District student-counselor ratio is 377:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Sun Prairie Area School District chronic absenteeism rate is 22.7% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Sun Prairie Area School District is typically wider than the Sun Prairie Area School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

7.4%
Federal
43.6%
State
49.0%
Local

Funding Equity

52
Equity Score
190 / 403
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 16 schools in Sun Prairie Area School District.

White 51.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.4%
African American 14.9%
Asian 10.4%
Multiracial 10.6%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 65.1/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Sun Prairie Area School District's schools, above the Wisconsin average of 35.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Meadow View Elementary 78.4
  2. 2 Westside Elementary 76.2
  3. 3 C H Bird Elementary 73.8
  4. 4 Prairie Phoenix Academy 72.8
  5. 5 Creekside Elementary 71.5

Programs & Resources

1 / 16
Schools with AP
21 AP courses total
376.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.7%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Sun Prairie Area School District

School Enrollment
Sun Prairie East High
1,340
Sun Prairie West High
1,325
Prairie View Middle
699
Patrick Marsh Middle
581
Central Heights Middle
560
Token Springs Elementary
472
Northside Elementary
439
Westside Elementary
434
Royal Oaks Elementary
433
Eastside Elementary
408
Meadow View Elementary
401
Creekside Elementary
394
Horizon Elementary
345
C H Bird Elementary
333
Sun Prairie Four Kids
297
Prairie Phoenix Academy
88

How Sun Prairie Area School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Wisconsin districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Wausau School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Elmbrook School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Oshkosh Area School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Sheboygan Area School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Sun Prairie Area School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Wisconsin

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Sun Prairie Area School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Milwaukee School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Sun Prairie Area School District?

Sun Prairie Area School District has 16 schools, including 3 high, 3 middle, 10 combined. Total enrollment is 8,350 students.

How much does Sun Prairie Area School District spend per student?

Sun Prairie Area School District spends $14,670 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #190 in Wisconsin.

What is the demographic composition of Sun Prairie Area School District?

Sun Prairie Area School District students are 51.1% White, 14.9% African American, 12.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, averaged across 16 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Sun Prairie Area School District?

Sun Prairie Area School District has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #190 out of 403 districts in Wisconsin.