Enrollment
311
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Webster City, IA
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 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 193063001763
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset Heights Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Webster City · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 43.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset Heights Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Heights Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Webster City, IA.
School address
District: Webster City Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193063001763 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunset Heights Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunset Heights Elementary School
Sunset Heights Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Webster City, Iowa, enrolling 311 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 43.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 311 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 364 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #96.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 346 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Webster City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Webster City Middle School (454 students): Sunset Heights Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 14.6:1).
Webster City Comm School District also operates Webster City High School (505 students) and Webster City Middle School (454 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 Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 12% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▲ 20% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 311 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
311
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 35% in Iowa - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.5%
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
$12,157
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 66.9%
Hispanic or Latino 26.4%
Two or More 2.9%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.1, Sunset Heights Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Webster City Comm School District, which includes Sunset Heights Elementary School.
$12,157
Per student
-5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 52.0%
Federal 12.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Webster City Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pleasant View Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northeast Hamilton Elementary School | Smaller | Similar 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
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 210
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 208
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Webster City
1 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 Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~311 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sunset Heights Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Webster City Comm School District'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 311 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Webster City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset Heights Elementary School is 13:1, which is 12% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 17% 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 Heights Elementary School?
43.8% of students at Sunset Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunset Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sunset Heights Elementary School is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Webster City, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset Heights Elementary School?
Sunset Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Sunset Heights Elementary School rank among public schools in Webster City?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Heights Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Webster City, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Webster City on the city page.
Is Sunset Heights Elementary School a good school?
Sunset Heights Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Webster City Comm School District?
Besides Sunset Heights Elementary School, Webster City Comm School District also operates Webster City High School (505 students), Webster City Middle School (454 students), and Pleasant View Elementary School (210 students). See the Webster City Comm School District 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.