Enrollment
497
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Glendale, AZ
Sunset School
Federal NCES profile for Sunset School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040906000945
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #19 of 46
- schools in Glendale · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 70.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset School ranks #19 of 46 schools in Glendale, AZ.
School address
District: Washington Elementary School District (4260) · Arizona
NCES ID 040906000945 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+47% 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 Glendale, Arizona, enrolling 497 students.
At 16.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 497 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 319 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #92.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (61%) and White (22%) (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Glendale's public schools, it stands alongside Sandra Day O'connor High School (2,658 students): Sunset School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 25.6:1).
Washington Elementary School District (4260) also operates Lookout Mountain School (979 students) and Mountain View Elementary School (903 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 2% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.9% | ▲ 47% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 497 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
497
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 51% in Arizona - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
53.3%
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
$10,856
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
13
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 60.8%
White 21.7%
African American 6.4%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.4, Sunset School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washington Elementary School District (4260), which includes Sunset School.
$10,856
Per student
-17%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 45.6%
Federal 24.8%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lookout Mountain School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Acacia Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orangewood School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palo Verde Middle School | Larger | 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
- 979
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Glendale
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 (~497 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset School's federal record.
- Compare Sunset School against another school. Compare schools
- Washington Elementary School District (4260)'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 497 students enrolled. It is a public school in Glendale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset School is 16.6:1, which is 2% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 6% higher 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 School?
70.9% 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 60.8% of enrollment, in Glendale, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset School?
Sunset School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 School rank among schools in Glendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset School ranks #19 of 46 schools in Glendale, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Glendale on the city page.
Is Sunset School a good school?
Sunset School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona 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 Washington Elementary School District (4260)?
Besides Sunset School, Washington Elementary School District (4260) also operates Lookout Mountain School (979 students), Mountain View Elementary School (903 students), and Acacia Elementary School (806 students). See the Washington Elementary School District (4260) 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.