Enrollment
366
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Phoenix, AZ
Sunset Canyon School
Federal NCES profile for Sunset Canyon School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040593001869
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset Canyon School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Arizona schools.
- #8 of 179
- schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.8:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 44.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset Canyon School has class sizes smaller than 90% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Canyon School ranks #8 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) · Arizona
NCES ID 040593001869 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunset Canyon School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunset Canyon School
Sunset Canyon School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 366 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.8:1, Sunset Canyon School is leaner than roughly 90% of Arizona schools and 36% under the state's 17:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.0% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 366 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 252 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Among Phoenix's public schools, it stands alongside Pan-American Charter School (1,221 students): Sunset Canyon School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students) and Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students) alongside Sunset Canyon 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 Sunset Canyon School compares
Sunset Canyon School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.8:1 | ▼ 36% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.0% | ▼ 9% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 366 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
366
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 10% in Arizona - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$11,154
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paradise Valley Unified District (4241), which includes Sunset Canyon School.
$11,154
Per student
-15%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.8%
State 27.3%
Federal 14.9%
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 Sunset Canyon School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinnacle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paradise Valley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Canyon High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shadow Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunset Canyon School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,430
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,767
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,560
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Phoenix
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pan-American Charter School
Standard public school
1,221 students
Great Hearts Academies - Anthem Prep
Standard public school
1,031 students
Westwind Elementary School
Standard public school
932 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Stetson Hills School
Standard public school
887 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Union Park School
Standard public school
873 students 19:1 students per teacher
Fireside Elementary School
Standard public school
693 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~366 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset Canyon School's federal record.
- Compare Sunset Canyon School against another school. Compare schools
- Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)'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 Sunset Canyon School
How many students attend Sunset Canyon School?
Sunset Canyon School has 366 students enrolled. It is a public school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset Canyon School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset Canyon School is 10.8:1, which is 36% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 31% lower 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 Sunset Canyon School?
44.0% of students at Sunset Canyon School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset Canyon School?
Sunset Canyon School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Sunset Canyon School rank among schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Canyon School ranks #8 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Sunset Canyon School a good school?
Sunset Canyon School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Arizona 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 Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)?
Besides Sunset Canyon School, Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students), Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students), and Horizon High School (1,767 students). See the Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) 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.