2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 302532000725

Sunburst Elementary — Sunburst, MT

Federal NCES profile for Sunburst Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 59/100.

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0/100100/10059/100
👥 Class size
66
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
81
📋 Attendance
61
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

Sunburst Elementary earns a C Resource Investment Index (59/100), with class sizes smaller than 78% of Montana schools.

C
Resource Index · 59/100
8.5:1
small classes for Montana
57
students enrolled

School address

Sunburst, MT 59482
District: Sunburst K-12 Schools · Montana

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

57

Montana · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

8.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

8.5:1

vs 12.1:1 Montana avg

-30% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Sunburst Elementary compares with Montana and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median
0:135:18.5:1

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

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

Sunburst Elementary reports 57 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 8.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 30% below the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 46% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Counselor coverage works out to roughly 95 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 15.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Sunburst K-12 Schools spends $23,602 per pupil district-wide, above the Montana average of $19,282 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 55.9% from local sources (property taxes), 33.7% from the state, and 10.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (C), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Sunburst Elementary compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Montana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs Montana Montana avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 8.5:1 ▼ 30% 12.1:1 15.7:1
Enrollment 57 top 42% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

9 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 95% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). This entry sits in this band. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Above this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Above this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

57 larger than 6% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). This entry sits in this band. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Above this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Staffing depth
8.5:1
students per teacher — 30% below state mean
Top 22% in Montana — lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
15.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$23,602
per pupil, district-wide — above Montana avg of $19,282
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Per 95 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

Enrollment 57 Top 42% in Montana — larger than 58% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 8.5:1 -30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 302532000725

Student demographics

White 96.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%

Largest group: White at 96.5% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Counselors (FTE) 0.6
Students per counselor 95:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 15.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunburst K-12 Schools, which includes Sunburst Elementary.

$23,602
Per student
+22%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
+42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.9%
State 33.7%
Federal 10.4%

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.

Other Schools in This District

Sunburst K-12 Schools · 2 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Sunburst

2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

Rimrock Colony School
Standard public school
12 students 12:1 students per teacher
Hillside Colony School
Standard public school
9 students 9:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Frequently asked questions about Sunburst Elementary

How many students attend Sunburst Elementary?

Sunburst Elementary has 57 students enrolled. It is a other school in Sunburst, MT.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunburst Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Sunburst Elementary is 8.5:1, which is 30% lower than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 46% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunburst Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Sunburst Elementary is White at 96.5%. The school serves a student body in Sunburst, MT.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunburst Elementary?

Sunburst Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

Is Sunburst Elementary a good school?

Sunburst Elementary earns a C Resource Investment Index (59/100), with class sizes smaller than 78% of Montana schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov