Enrollment
490
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kerman, CA
Sun Empire Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sun Empire Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061949008869
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sun Empire Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Kerman · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- students per teacher
- 72.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sun Empire Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sun Empire Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Kerman, CA.
School address
District: Kerman Unified · California
NCES ID 061949008869 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sun Empire Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sun Empire Elementary
Sun Empire Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Kerman, California, enrolling 490 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 490 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,169 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,526.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 438 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kerman's elementary schools, it stands alongside Goldenrod Elementary (617 students): Sun Empire Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 17.1:1).
Kerman Unified also operates Kerman High (1,493 students) and Kerman Middle (810 students) alongside Sun Empire Elementary.
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 Sun Empire Elementary compares
Sun Empire Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.7% | ▲ 31% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 490 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
490
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in California - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.7%
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
$13,384
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 437 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: 1.4 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 91.0%
White 7.1%
Asian 1.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.7, Sun Empire Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kerman Unified, which includes Sun Empire Elementary.
$13,384
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.9%
State 68.1%
Federal 17.0%
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 Sun Empire Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerman High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kerman Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldenrod Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kerman-Floyd Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sun Empire Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 617
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar elementary schools in Kerman
3 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 California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~490 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sun Empire Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sun Empire Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kerman Unified'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 Sun Empire Elementary
How many students attend Sun Empire Elementary?
Sun Empire Elementary has 490 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kerman, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sun Empire Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sun Empire Elementary is 19.6:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% 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 Sun Empire Elementary?
72.7% of students at Sun Empire Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sun Empire Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sun Empire Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 91.0% of enrollment, in Kerman, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sun Empire Elementary?
Sun Empire Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower 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 Sun Empire Elementary rank among elementary schools in Kerman?
By Resource Investment Index, Sun Empire Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Kerman, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Kerman on the city page.
Is Sun Empire Elementary a good school?
Sun Empire Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 Kerman Unified?
Besides Sun Empire Elementary, Kerman Unified also operates Kerman High (1,493 students), Kerman Middle (810 students), and Goldenrod Elementary (617 students). See the Kerman Unified 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.