Enrollment
396
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Great Falls, MT
Sunnyside School
Federal NCES profile for Sunnyside School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 301304000376
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunnyside School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #13 of 17
- schools in Great Falls · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Montana
- 396
- students enrolled
Sunnyside School has class sizes larger than 83% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunnyside School ranks #13 of 17 schools in Great Falls, MT.
School address
District: Great Falls Elem · Montana
NCES ID 301304000376 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunnyside School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunnyside School
Sunnyside School is a large combined-grade school in Great Falls, Montana, enrolling 396 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 396 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Two or More (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Great Falls Elem spends $12,418 per pupil, 36% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Great Falls's public schools, it stands alongside Meadow Lark School (527 students): Sunnyside School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 22:1).
Great Falls Elem also operates East Middle School (764 students) and North Middle School (764 students) alongside Sunnyside School.
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 School compares
Sunnyside School on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▲ 34% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
396
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 83% in Montana - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.9%
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
$12,418
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,282
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 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.1 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 57.1%
Two or More 18.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.3%
African American 1.5%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: White at 57.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.5, Sunnyside School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Great Falls Elem, which includes Sunnyside School.
$12,418
Per student
-36%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.9%
State 38.7%
Federal 27.4%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadow Lark School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverview School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Giant Springs Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunnyside School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 764
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 764
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 527
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools in Great Falls
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Meadow Lark School
Standard public school
527 students 22:1 students per teacher
Riverview School
Standard public school
445 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Giant Springs Elementary
Standard public school
431 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
West Elementary
Standard public school
421 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Sacajawea School
Standard public school
405 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Loy School
Standard public school
392 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Montana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~396 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunnyside School's federal record.
- Compare Sunnyside School against another school. Compare schools
- Great Falls Elem'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 School
How many students attend Sunnyside School?
Sunnyside School has 396 students enrolled. It is a public school in Great Falls, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunnyside School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunnyside School is 15.8:1, which is 34% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunnyside School?
The largest demographic group at Sunnyside School is White at 57.1% of enrollment, in Great Falls, MT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunnyside School?
Sunnyside School 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 Sunnyside School rank among schools in Great Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunnyside School ranks #13 of 17 schools in Great Falls, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Great Falls on the city page.
Is Sunnyside School a good school?
Sunnyside School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana 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 Great Falls Elem?
Besides Sunnyside School, Great Falls Elem also operates East Middle School (764 students), North Middle School (764 students), and Meadow Lark School (527 students). See the Great Falls Elem 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.