Enrollment
293
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gardner, KS
Sunflower Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sunflower Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200642000997
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunflower Elementary earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Kansas schools.
- #1 of 6
- schools in Gardner · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.5:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 22.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunflower Elementary has class sizes smaller than 84% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunflower Elementary ranks #1 of 6 schools in Gardner, KS.
School address
District: Gardner Edgerton · Kansas
NCES ID 200642000997 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.0%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunflower Elementary compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunflower Elementary
Sunflower Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gardner, Kansas, enrolling 293 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 22.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 293 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 1,346 Kansas schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 202 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #15, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 293 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Gardner's public schools, it stands alongside Madison Elementary (521 students): Sunflower Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.5:1 vs 14.5:1).
Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students) and Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students) alongside Sunflower 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 Sunflower Elementary compares
Sunflower Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.5:1 | ▼ 24% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.0% | ▼ 48% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 293 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
293
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 16% in Kansas - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,254
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 293 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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
White 73.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
Two or More 8.2%
African American 6.1%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 73.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.4, Sunflower Elementary is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gardner Edgerton, which includes Sunflower Elementary.
$13,254
Per student
-14%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 68.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Sunflower Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner Edgerton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Trail Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madison Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheatridge Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunflower Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar other schools in Gardner
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Madison Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Grand Star Elementary
Standard public school
380 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Nike Elementary
Standard public school
365 students 13:1 students per teacher
Moonlight Elementary School
Standard public school
320 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Gardner Elem
Standard public school
304 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~293 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunflower Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sunflower Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Gardner Edgerton'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 Sunflower Elementary
How many students attend Sunflower Elementary?
Sunflower Elementary has 293 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gardner, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunflower Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunflower Elementary is 10.5:1, which is 24% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 33% lower 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 Sunflower Elementary?
22.0% of students at Sunflower Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunflower Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sunflower Elementary is White at 73.7% of enrollment, in Gardner, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunflower Elementary?
Sunflower Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (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 Sunflower Elementary rank among schools in Gardner?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunflower Elementary ranks #1 of 6 schools in Gardner, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gardner on the city page.
Is Sunflower Elementary a good school?
Sunflower Elementary earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Kansas 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 Gardner Edgerton?
Besides Sunflower Elementary, Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students), Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students), and Pioneer Ridge Middle School (548 students). See the Gardner Edgerton 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.