Enrollment
987
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Peoria, AZ
Sunset Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sunset Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040625003441
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset Heights Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools.
- #22 of 29
- schools in Peoria · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 10.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset Heights Elementary School has class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Heights Elementary School ranks #22 of 29 schools in Peoria, AZ.
School address
District: Peoria Unified School District (4237) · Arizona
NCES ID 040625003441 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunset Heights Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunset Heights Elementary School
Sunset Heights Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Peoria, Arizona, enrolling 987 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.0% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the Arizona average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 91% of state schools at 987 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 157 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #84.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 47/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Peoria Unified School District (4237) spends $9,168 per pupil, 30% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Peoria's public schools, it stands alongside Peoria Ecampus (130 students): Sunset Heights Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Peoria Unified School District (4237) also operates Liberty High School (2,510 students) and Centennial High School (2,026 students) alongside Sunset Heights Elementary 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 Heights Elementary School compares
Sunset Heights Elementary 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 | 19.7:1 | ▲ 16% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.0% | ▼ 79% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 987 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
987
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 74% in Arizona - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.7%
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
$9,168
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
3
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 70.5%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 5.2%
African American 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Sunset Heights Elementary School is about as mixed as the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Peoria Unified School District (4237), which includes Sunset Heights Elementary School.
$9,168
Per student
-30%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.4%
State 49.0%
Federal 15.6%
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 Heights Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunrise Mountain High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ironwood High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Raymond S. Kellis | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunset Heights Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,510
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,026
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,896
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,804
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,691
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Peoria
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 Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~987 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sunset Heights Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Peoria Unified School District (4237)'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 Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Sunset Heights Elementary School?
Sunset Heights Elementary School has 987 students enrolled. It is a public school in Peoria, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset Heights Elementary School is 19.7:1, which is 16% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunset Heights Elementary School?
10.0% of students at Sunset Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunset Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sunset Heights Elementary School is White at 70.5% of enrollment, in Peoria, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset Heights Elementary School?
Sunset Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Heights Elementary School rank among schools in Peoria?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Heights Elementary School ranks #22 of 29 schools in Peoria, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Peoria on the city page.
Is Sunset Heights Elementary School a good school?
Sunset Heights Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Peoria Unified School District (4237)?
Besides Sunset Heights Elementary School, Peoria Unified School District (4237) also operates Liberty High School (2,510 students), Centennial High School (2,026 students), and Sunrise Mountain High School (1,896 students). See the Peoria Unified School District (4237) 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.