Enrollment
602
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sunnyside, WA
Pioneer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530867002544
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Elementary School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Sunnyside · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 73.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Sunnyside, WA.
School address
District: Sunnyside School District · Washington
NCES ID 530867002544 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Elementary School
Pioneer Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sunnyside, Washington, enrolling 602 students.
At 15.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 73.3% of students qualify for free meals, 63% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 602 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Among 279 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #27, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 20.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sunnyside's public schools, it stands alongside Washington Elementary (602 students): Pioneer Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 15.4:1).
Sunnyside School District also operates Sunnyside High School (2,122 students) and Harrison Middle School (820 students) alongside Pioneer 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 Pioneer Elementary School compares
Pioneer Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.3% | ▲ 63% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 602 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
602
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 44% in Washington - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,153
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 92.0%
White 6.0%
Asian 1.2%
Two or More 0.5%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.0, Pioneer Elementary School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunnyside School District, which includes Pioneer Elementary School.
$17,153
Per student
-12%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.0%
State 74.3%
Federal 20.7%
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 Pioneer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrison Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chief Kamiakin Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sierra Vista Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Sunnyside
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~602 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sunnyside School District'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 Pioneer Elementary School
How many students attend Pioneer Elementary School?
Pioneer Elementary School has 602 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sunnyside, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary School is 15.8:1, which is 10% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 1% 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 Pioneer Elementary School?
73.3% of students at Pioneer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment, in Sunnyside, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Elementary School?
Pioneer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pioneer Elementary School rank among schools in Sunnyside?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Sunnyside, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sunnyside on the city page.
Is Pioneer Elementary School a good school?
Pioneer Elementary School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools. 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 Sunnyside School District?
Besides Pioneer Elementary School, Sunnyside School District also operates Sunnyside High School (2,122 students), Harrison Middle School (820 students), and Washington Elementary (602 students). See the Sunnyside School District 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.