Enrollment
877
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Surprise, AZ
Sunset Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sunset Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040269002481
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset Hills Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools.
- #11 of 14
- schools in Surprise · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 32.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset Hills Elementary has class sizes larger than 76% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Hills Elementary ranks #11 of 14 schools in Surprise, AZ.
School address
District: Dysart Unified District (4243) · Arizona
NCES ID 040269002481 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunset Hills Elementary compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunset Hills Elementary
Sunset Hills Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Surprise, Arizona, enrolling 877 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 877 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 212 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #92.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 66/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Dysart Unified District (4243) spends $9,891 per pupil, 25% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Surprise's public schools, it stands alongside American Leadership Academy West Foothills K-12 (2,276 students): Sunset Hills Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Dysart Unified District (4243) also operates Valley Vista High School (2,334 students) and Shadow Ridge High School (2,212 students) alongside Sunset Hills 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 Hills Elementary compares
Sunset Hills Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.9% | ▼ 32% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 877 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
877
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 76% in Arizona - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
58.0%
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
$9,891
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
45
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 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 42.8%
Hispanic or Latino 37.1%
Two or More 10.0%
African American 7.8%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 42.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Sunset Hills Elementary is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dysart Unified District (4243), which includes Sunset Hills Elementary.
$9,891
Per student
-25%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.2%
State 44.3%
Federal 17.5%
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 Hills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Vista High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shadow Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willow Canyon High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dysart High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain View | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunset Hills Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,334
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,212
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,901
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,471
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Surprise
2 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 (~877 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sunset Hills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Dysart Unified District (4243)'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 Hills Elementary
How many students attend Sunset Hills Elementary?
Sunset Hills Elementary has 877 students enrolled. It is a public school in Surprise, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset Hills Elementary is 19.9:1, which is 17% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunset Hills Elementary?
32.9% of students at Sunset Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunset Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sunset Hills Elementary is White at 42.8% of enrollment, in Surprise, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset Hills Elementary?
Sunset Hills Elementary 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 Hills Elementary rank among schools in Surprise?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Hills Elementary ranks #11 of 14 schools in Surprise, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Surprise on the city page.
Is Sunset Hills Elementary a good school?
Sunset Hills Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Dysart Unified District (4243)?
Besides Sunset Hills Elementary, Dysart Unified District (4243) also operates Valley Vista High School (2,334 students), Shadow Ridge High School (2,212 students), and Willow Canyon High School (1,901 students). See the Dysart Unified District (4243) 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.