Enrollment
444
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lawrence, KS
Sunflower Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sunflower Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200840000778
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunflower Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Kansas schools.
- #10 of 12
- elementary schools in Lawrence · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 38.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunflower Elementary has class sizes larger than 76% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunflower Elementary ranks #10 of 12 elementary schools in Lawrence, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.7%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-9% 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 elementary school in Lawrence, Kansas, enrolling 444 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.7% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 444 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 260 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #243, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 444 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lawrence spends $12,091 per pupil, 22% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Lawrence's elementary schools, it stands alongside Langston Hughes Elem (560 students): Sunflower Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 23.3:1).
Lawrence also operates Lawrence Free State High (1,774 students) and Lawrence High (1,454 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.7% | ▼ 9% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 444 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
444
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Kansas - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$12,091
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 444 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 60.4%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
Two or More 13.5%
African American 7.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.7%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 60.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.2, 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 Lawrence, which includes Sunflower Elementary.
$12,091
Per student
-22%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 59.4%
Federal 6.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Free State High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lawrence High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lawrence West Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lawrence Southwest Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Langston Hughes Elem | Larger | Lower 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
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,454
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Lawrence
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Langston Hughes Elem
Standard public school
560 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Schwegler Elem
Standard public school
434 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Deerfield Elem
Standard public school
433 students 16:1 students per teacher
Quail Run Elementary
Standard public school
421 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Sunset Hill Elem
Standard public school
398 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest Elem
Standard public school
393 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~444 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunflower Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sunflower Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lawrence'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 444 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lawrence, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunflower Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunflower Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 11% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunflower Elementary?
38.7% 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 60.4% of enrollment, in Lawrence, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunflower Elementary?
Sunflower Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 elementary schools in Lawrence?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunflower Elementary ranks #10 of 12 elementary schools in Lawrence, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Lawrence on the city page.
Is Sunflower Elementary a good school?
Sunflower Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Lawrence?
Besides Sunflower Elementary, Lawrence also operates Lawrence Free State High (1,774 students), Lawrence High (1,454 students), and Lawrence West Middle School (648 students). See the Lawrence 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.