Elementary school (grades K-5) · Scottsdale, AZ

Sonoran Sky Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Sonoran Sky Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040593000606
0/100100/10053/100
👥 S:T ratio
37
🌟 Gifted program
70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Sonoran Sky Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.

#2 of 8
elementary schools in Scottsdale · Resource Index
53
Resource Index · Higher
15.8:1
students per teacher
5.9%
free-lunch eligible

Sonoran Sky Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Sonoran Sky Elementary School ranks #2 of 8 elementary schools in Scottsdale, AZ.

Enrollment

567

Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

36.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

15.8:1

vs 17:1 Arizona avg

-7% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

5.9%

vs 48.3% Arizona avg

-88% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Sonoran Sky Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians

At or below state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Sonoran Sky Elementary School

Sonoran Sky Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Scottsdale, Arizona, enrolling 567 students.

At 15.8:1, 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.

Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.9% free-meal eligibility runs 88% below the Arizona average.

Enrollment of 567 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.

Among 153 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #15, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.

Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 46/100).

The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Scottsdale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Great Hearts Academies - Archway Scottsdale (1,079 students): Sonoran Sky Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.

Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students) and Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students) alongside Sonoran Sky 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 Sonoran Sky Elementary School compares

Sonoran Sky 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 15.8:1 ▼ 7% 17:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 5.9% ▼ 88% 48.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 567 top 32% - -

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.
567
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
5.9%
free-lunch eligible - 88% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher - 7% below state mean
Top 43% in Arizona - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$11,154
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
9
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.

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

White 71.4%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
Two or More 7.9%
Asian 4.4%
African American 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Largest group: White at 71.4% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 46.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 46.4, Sonoran Sky Elementary School is about as mixed as the Arizona school average of 47.2.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paradise Valley Unified District (4241), which includes Sonoran Sky Elementary School.

$11,154
Per student
-15%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.8%
State 27.3%
Federal 14.9%

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 Sonoran Sky Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Pinnacle High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Paradise Valley High School Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Horizon High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
North Canyon High School Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Shadow Mountain High School Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Sonoran Sky Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Scottsdale

2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Similar elementary 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Sonoran Sky Elementary School's federal record.

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 Sonoran Sky Elementary School

How many students attend Sonoran Sky Elementary School?

Sonoran Sky Elementary School has 567 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Scottsdale, AZ.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sonoran Sky Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Sonoran Sky Elementary School is 15.8:1, which is 7% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 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 Sonoran Sky Elementary School?

5.9% of students at Sonoran Sky Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sonoran Sky Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Sonoran Sky Elementary School is White at 71.4% of enrollment, in Scottsdale, AZ.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Sonoran Sky Elementary School?

Sonoran Sky Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.

How does Sonoran Sky Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Scottsdale?

By Resource Investment Index, Sonoran Sky Elementary School ranks #2 of 8 elementary schools in Scottsdale, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Scottsdale on the city page.

Is Sonoran Sky Elementary School a good school?

Sonoran Sky Elementary School earns 53/100 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 Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)?

Besides Sonoran Sky Elementary School, Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students), Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students), and Horizon High School (1,767 students). See the Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved

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.