Enrollment
199
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Newton, KS
Sunset Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sunset Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200996002010
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Kansas schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Newton · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 63.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset Elementary has class sizes smaller than 74% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Newton, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.7%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunset Elementary compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunset Elementary
Sunset Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Newton, Kansas, enrolling 199 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 199 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 116 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #71.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 46/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Newton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Santa Fe 5/6 Center (440 students): Sunset Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 14.2:1).
Newton also operates Newton Sr High (932 students) and Santa Fe 5/6 Center (440 students) alongside Sunset 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 Sunset Elementary compares
Sunset Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 15% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.7% | ▲ 49% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 199 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
199
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 26% in Kansas - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
35.7%
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
$15,402
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.1 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 70.4%
Hispanic or Latino 18.6%
Two or More 9.0%
African American 1.0%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 70.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.1, Sunset Elementary is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newton, which includes Sunset Elementary.
$15,402
Per student
-1%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 63.5%
Federal 7.6%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton Sr High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe 5/6 Center | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chisholm Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northridge Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Breeze Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunset Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 440
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Newton
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~199 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sunset Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Newton'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 Elementary
How many students attend Sunset Elementary?
Sunset Elementary has 199 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Newton, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset Elementary is 11.7:1, which is 15% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 25% 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 Elementary?
63.7% of students at Sunset Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunset Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sunset Elementary is White at 70.4% of enrollment, in Newton, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset Elementary?
Sunset Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sunset Elementary rank among elementary schools in Newton?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Newton, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Newton on the city page.
Is Sunset Elementary a good school?
Sunset Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Newton?
Besides Sunset Elementary, Newton also operates Newton Sr High (932 students), Santa Fe 5/6 Center (440 students), and Chisholm Middle School (422 students). See the Newton 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.