Enrollment
590
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Surprise, AZ
Countryside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Countryside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040269002340
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Countryside Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 40.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 590
- students enrolled
Countryside Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Dysart Unified District (4243) · Arizona
NCES ID 040269002340 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Countryside Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Countryside Elementary School
Countryside Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Surprise, Arizona, enrolling 590 students.
At 16.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 590 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 330 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #101.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and White (40%) (diversity index 66/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Dysart Unified District (4243) spends $9,891 per pupil, 25% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Surprise's public schools, it stands alongside American Leadership Academy West Foothills K-12 (2,276 students): Countryside Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Dysart Unified District (4243) also operates Valley Vista High School (2,334 students) and Shadow Ridge High School (2,212 students) alongside Countryside Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Countryside Elementary School compares
Countryside Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▼ 1% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.9% | ▼ 15% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 590 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
590
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 53% in Arizona - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
53.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,891
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 40.8%
White 39.7%
Two or More 8.8%
African American 7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Asian 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.2, Countryside Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dysart Unified District (4243), which includes Countryside Elementary School.
$9,891
Per student
-25%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.2%
State 44.3%
Federal 17.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Countryside Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Vista High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shadow Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willow Canyon High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dysart High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Countryside Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,334
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,212
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,901
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,471
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Surprise
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~590 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Countryside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Countryside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dysart Unified District (4243)'s spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Countryside Elementary School
How many students attend Countryside Elementary School?
Countryside Elementary School has 590 students enrolled. It is a public school in Surprise, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Countryside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Countryside Elementary School is 16.9:1, which is 1% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Countryside Elementary School?
40.9% of students at Countryside Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Countryside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Countryside Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 40.8% of enrollment, in Surprise, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Countryside Elementary School?
Countryside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Countryside Elementary School a good school?
Countryside Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Dysart Unified District (4243)?
Besides Countryside Elementary School, Dysart Unified District (4243) also operates Valley Vista High School (2,334 students), Shadow Ridge High School (2,212 students), and Willow Canyon High School (1,901 students). See the Dysart Unified District (4243) district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.