Enrollment
106
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, MO
Sunshine Center
Federal NCES profile for Sunshine Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291548003157
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunshine Center earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #22 of 22
- schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 50.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 106
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Sunshine Center ranks #22 of 22 schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Independence 30 · Missouri
NCES ID 291548003157 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
50.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+10% vs state
What stands out at Sunshine Center
Sunshine Center is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 106 students.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 106 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 119 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #116, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Its district draws 21.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students) and William Chrisman High (1,417 students) alongside Sunshine Center.
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 Sunshine Center compares
Sunshine Center on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.5% | ▲ 10% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 106 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
106
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Funding equity
$11,956
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 58.5%
African American 15.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
Two or More 11.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.9%
Largest group: White at 58.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Sunshine Center is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence 30, which includes Sunshine Center.
$11,956
Per student
-8%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.9%
State 35.3%
Federal 21.8%
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 Sunshine Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truman High | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| William Chrisman High | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Van Horn High | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Clifford H. Nowlin Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| Bridger Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Sunshine Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunshine Center's federal record.
- Compare Sunshine Center against another school. Compare schools
- Independence 30'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 Sunshine Center
How many students attend Sunshine Center?
Sunshine Center has 106 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, MO.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunshine Center?
50.5% of students at Sunshine Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunshine Center?
The largest demographic group at Sunshine Center is White at 58.5% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunshine Center?
Sunshine Center has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Sunshine Center rank among schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunshine Center ranks #22 of 22 schools in Independence, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Sunshine Center a good school?
Sunshine Center earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri 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 Independence 30?
Besides Sunshine Center, Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students), William Chrisman High (1,417 students), and Van Horn High (1,067 students). See the Independence 30 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.