Enrollment
304
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · La Puente, CA
Sunkist Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sunkist Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060411000376
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunkist Elementary earns 42/100 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 19
- elementary schools in La Puente · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.3:1
- students per teacher
- 81.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunkist Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunkist Elementary ranks #1 of 19 elementary schools in La Puente, CA.
School address
District: Bassett Unified · California
NCES ID 060411000376 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunkist Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunkist Elementary
Sunkist Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in La Puente, California, enrolling 304 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 304 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,182 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #120, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 203 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among La Puente's elementary schools, it stands alongside Fairgrove Academy (749 students): Sunkist Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.3:1 vs 25.8:1).
Bassett Unified also operates Bassett Senior High (747 students) and Don Julian Elementary (544 students) alongside Sunkist 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 Sunkist Elementary compares
Sunkist 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 | 20.3:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.1% | ▲ 46% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 304 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.3:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
304
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
20.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 37% in California - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.6%
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
$15,662
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 203 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 91.4%
Asian 4.9%
White 1.6%
African American 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.2, Sunkist Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bassett Unified, which includes Sunkist Elementary.
$15,662
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.3%
State 61.4%
Federal 13.3%
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 Sunkist Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bassett Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Don Julian Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edgewood Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Torch Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J. E. Van Wig Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunkist Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 747
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in La Puente
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Fairgrove Academy
Standard public school
749 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Don Julian Elementary
Standard public school
544 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Baldwin Academy
Standard public school
519 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Edgewood Academy
Standard public school
478 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Rorimer Elementary
Standard public school
405 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Hurley Elementary
Standard public school
387 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~304 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunkist Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sunkist Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bassett 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 Sunkist Elementary
How many students attend Sunkist Elementary?
Sunkist Elementary has 304 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in La Puente, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunkist Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunkist Elementary is 20.3:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% 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 Sunkist Elementary?
81.1% of students at Sunkist Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunkist Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sunkist Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 91.4% of enrollment, in La Puente, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunkist Elementary?
Sunkist Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Sunkist Elementary rank among elementary schools in La Puente?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunkist Elementary ranks #1 of 19 elementary schools in La Puente, 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 La Puente on the city page.
Is Sunkist Elementary a good school?
Sunkist Elementary earns 42/100 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 Bassett Unified?
Besides Sunkist Elementary, Bassett Unified also operates Bassett Senior High (747 students), Don Julian Elementary (544 students), and Edgewood Academy (478 students). See the Bassett 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.