Enrollment
739
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Phoenix, AZ
Sunset School
Federal NCES profile for Sunset School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040168000105
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #116 of 179
- schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.8:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 58.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset School has class sizes larger than 92% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset School ranks #116 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Cartwright Elementary District (4282) · Arizona
NCES ID 040168000105 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunset School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunset School
Sunset School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 739 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.8:1 is larger than about 92% of Arizona schools and 40% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 739 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 298 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #178.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 370 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 41.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Phoenix's public schools, it stands alongside Pan-American Charter School (1,221 students): Sunset School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students) and Charles W. Harris School (875 students) alongside Sunset 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 School compares
Sunset 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 | 23.8:1 | ▲ 40% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.9% | ▲ 22% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 739 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.8:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
739
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.8:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 92% in Arizona - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
46.3%
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
$11,851
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 370 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 91.1%
African American 3.5%
White 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Asian 0.9%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.8, Sunset School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cartwright Elementary District (4282), which includes Sunset School.
$11,851
Per student
-10%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.7%
State 42.2%
Federal 41.1%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Borman School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Charles W. Harris School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Peralta School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manuel Pena Jr. School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tomahawk School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunset School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 718
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar other schools in Phoenix
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pan-American Charter School
Standard public school
1,221 students
Great Hearts Academies - Anthem Prep
Standard public school
1,031 students
Westwind Elementary School
Standard public school
932 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Stetson Hills School
Standard public school
887 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Union Park School
Standard public school
873 students 19:1 students per teacher
Fireside Elementary School
Standard public school
693 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~739 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset School's federal record.
- Compare Sunset School against another school. Compare schools
- Cartwright Elementary District (4282)'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 School
How many students attend Sunset School?
Sunset School has 739 students enrolled. It is a public school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset School is 23.8:1, which is 40% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunset School?
58.9% of students at Sunset School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunset School?
The largest demographic group at Sunset School is Hispanic or Latino at 91.1% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset School?
Sunset School 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 School rank among schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset School ranks #116 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Sunset School a good school?
Sunset School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Cartwright Elementary District (4282)?
Besides Sunset School, Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students), Charles W. Harris School (875 students), and Peralta School (817 students). See the Cartwright Elementary District (4282) 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.