Enrollment
469
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lancaster, CA
Sunnydale Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sunnydale Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062088002514
👥 S:T ratio 11
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunnydale Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 28
- elementary schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.3:1
- students per teacher
- 85.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunnydale Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunnydale Elementary ranks #5 of 28 elementary schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Lancaster Elementary · California
NCES ID 062088002514 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunnydale Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunnydale Elementary
Sunnydale Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 469 students.
At 22.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 85.4% of students qualify for free meals, 54% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 469 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,797 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #356.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and African American (22%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 65.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lancaster's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sundown Elementary (941 students): Sunnydale Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.3:1 vs 29.4:1).
Lancaster Elementary also operates Amargosa Creek Middle (859 students) and New Vista Middle (835 students) alongside Sunnydale 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 Sunnydale Elementary compares
Sunnydale 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 | 22.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.4% | ▲ 54% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 469 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.3:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
469
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 56% in California - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
65.2%
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
$16,048
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 60.1%
African American 22.0%
White 9.6%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Sunnydale Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lancaster Elementary, which includes Sunnydale Elementary.
$16,048
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.4%
State 64.4%
Federal 19.3%
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 Sunnydale Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amargosa Creek Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| New Vista Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Endeavour Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monte Vista Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Dorado Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunnydale Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Lancaster
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sundown Elementary
Standard public school
941 students 29.4:1 students per teacher
Monte Vista Elementary
Standard public school
788 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Ilead Lancaster Charter
Standard public school
771 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
El Dorado Elementary
Standard public school
766 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Senior Elementary
Standard public school
763 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
West Wind Elementary
Standard public school
757 students 29.1:1 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 (~469 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunnydale Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sunnydale Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster Elementary'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 Sunnydale Elementary
How many students attend Sunnydale Elementary?
Sunnydale Elementary has 469 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunnydale Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunnydale Elementary is 22.3:1, which is 4% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 42% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunnydale Elementary?
85.4% of students at Sunnydale Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunnydale Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sunnydale Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 60.1% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunnydale Elementary?
Sunnydale Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Sunnydale Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunnydale Elementary ranks #5 of 28 elementary schools in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster on the city page.
Is Sunnydale Elementary a good school?
Sunnydale Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Lancaster Elementary?
Besides Sunnydale Elementary, Lancaster Elementary also operates Amargosa Creek Middle (859 students), New Vista Middle (835 students), and Endeavour Middle (805 students). See the Lancaster Elementary 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.