Enrollment
353
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 292886001828
Sunshine Elem. — Springfield, MO
Federal NCES profile for Sunshine Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Springfield R-Xii · Missouri
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunshine Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Sunshine Elem. reports 353 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 19% above the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 65.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 41% above the Missouri average and 26% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 353 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Springfield R-Xii spends $17,624 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 63.1% from local sources (property taxes), 21.8% from the state, and 15.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Sunshine Elem. compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Missouri state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 19% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.2% | ▲ 41% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 353 | top 56% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
65.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 41% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
— 19% above state mean
Top 83% in Missouri — lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$17,624
per pupil, district-wide
— above Missouri avg of $15,248
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 353 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
61
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 353 Top 56% in Missouri — larger than 44% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 15.3:1 +19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 65.2% +41% vs state
NCES ID 292886001828
Student demographics
White 65.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
African American 11.3%
Two or More 9.1%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 353:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 61
Out-of-school suspensions 45
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springfield R-Xii, which includes Sunshine Elem..
$17,624
Per student
+16%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 63.1%
State 21.8%
Federal 15.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,428
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 1,357
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
Similar elementary schools in Springfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Walt Disney Elem.
Standard public school
514 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Bingham Elem.
Standard public school
429 students 6.9:1 students per teacher
Field Elem.
Standard public school
401 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Sherwood Elem.
Standard public school
396 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Westport Elem.
Standard public school
351 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Hickory Hills Elem.
Standard public school
340 students 16:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Sunshine Elem.
How many students attend Sunshine Elem.?
Sunshine Elem. has 353 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in SPRINGFIELD, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunshine Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunshine Elem. is 15.3:1, which is 19% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunshine Elem.?
65.2% of students at Sunshine Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunshine Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Sunshine Elem. is White at 65.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in SPRINGFIELD, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunshine Elem.?
Sunshine Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.