Enrollment
381
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Diego, CA
Sunset Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sunset Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063153004896
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset Hills Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #130 of 179
- elementary schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.4:1
- large classes for California
- 6.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset Hills Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Hills Elementary ranks #130 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: Poway Unified · California
NCES ID 063153004896 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunset Hills Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunset Hills Elementary
Sunset Hills Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Diego, California, enrolling 381 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.5% free-meal eligibility runs 88% below the California average.
With 381 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 513 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #461, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Asian (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 635 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among San Diego's elementary schools, it stands alongside Albert Einstein Academies (1,448 students): Sunset Hills Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.4:1 vs 24.1:1).
Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students) and Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 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 California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.4:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.5% | ▼ 88% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 381 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.4:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
381
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% below the California average of 55.5%
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
25.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in California - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.6%
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
$13,960
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 43.3%
Asian 26.1%
Hispanic or Latino 17.9%
Two or More 11.1%
African American 1.6%
Largest group: White at 43.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.0, Sunset Hills Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poway Unified, which includes Sunset Hills Elementary.
$13,960
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 39.4%
Federal 6.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho Bernardo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Poway High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt. Carmel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,116
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,101
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,800
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in San Diego
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Albert Einstein Academies
Standard public school
1,448 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Design 39 Campus
Standard public school
1,216 students 27:1 students per teacher
Nestor Language Academy Charter
Standard public school
1,079 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Hills
Standard public school
1,020 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Language Academy
Standard public school
1,015 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Del Sur Elementary
Standard public school
891 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~381 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sunset Hills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Poway Unified'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 381 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset Hills Elementary is 25.4:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunset Hills Elementary?
6.5% of students at Sunset Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunset Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sunset Hills Elementary is White at 43.3% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset Hills Elementary?
Sunset Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Hills Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Hills Elementary ranks #130 of 179 elementary schools in San Diego, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in San Diego on the city page.
Is Sunset Hills Elementary a good school?
Sunset Hills Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 Poway Unified?
Besides Sunset Hills Elementary, Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students), Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students), and Westview High (2,116 students). See the Poway Unified 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.