Enrollment
365
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dodge City, KS
Sunnyside Elem
Federal NCES profile for Sunnyside Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200558001093
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunnyside Elem earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Kansas schools.
- #3 of 11
- public schools in Dodge City · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.1:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 84.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunnyside Elem has class sizes larger than 99% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunnyside Elem ranks #3 of 11 public schools in Dodge City, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.1:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+89% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+97% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunnyside Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunnyside Elem
Sunnyside Elem is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dodge City, Kansas, enrolling 365 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.1:1 is larger than about 99% of Kansas schools and 89% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 84.2% of students qualify for free meals, 97% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 365 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 99 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 365 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Dodge City's public schools, it stands alongside Miller Elem (780 students): Sunnyside Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (26.1:1 vs 26.9:1).
Dodge City also operates Dodge City High School (2,178 students) and Dodge City Middle School (808 students) alongside Sunnyside Elem.
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 Sunnyside Elem compares
Sunnyside Elem on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.1:1 | ▲ 89% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.2% | ▲ 97% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 365 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.1:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
365
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 97% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
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
26.1:1
students per teacher
- 89% above state mean
Top 99% in Kansas - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,648
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 365 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 91.5%
White 6.3%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 0.5%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.9, Sunnyside Elem is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dodge City, which includes Sunnyside Elem.
$12,648
Per student
-18%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.0%
State 76.6%
Federal 12.5%
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 Sunnyside Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dodge City Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Comanche Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Miller Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ross Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunnyside Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,178
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 808
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Dodge City
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~365 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunnyside Elem's federal record.
- Compare Sunnyside Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Dodge City'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 Sunnyside Elem
How many students attend Sunnyside Elem?
Sunnyside Elem has 365 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dodge City, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunnyside Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunnyside Elem is 26.1:1, which is 89% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 66% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunnyside Elem?
84.2% of students at Sunnyside Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunnyside Elem?
The largest demographic group at Sunnyside Elem is Hispanic or Latino at 91.5% of enrollment, in Dodge City, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunnyside Elem?
Sunnyside Elem 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 Sunnyside Elem rank among public schools in Dodge City?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunnyside Elem ranks #3 of 11 public schools in Dodge City, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Dodge City on the city page.
Is Sunnyside Elem a good school?
Sunnyside Elem earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Dodge City?
Besides Sunnyside Elem, Dodge City also operates Dodge City High School (2,178 students), Dodge City Middle School (808 students), and Comanche Middle School (783 students). See the Dodge City 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.