Enrollment
1,456
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 120108002472
Sunshine Elementary School — Lehigh Acres, FL
Federal NCES profile for Sunshine Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.
👥 Class size 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 13
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
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)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 18.3:1 Florida avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunshine Elementary School compares with Florida 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 Elementary School reports 1,456 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 62.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% above the Florida state mean of 18.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 32% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 74.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 43% above the Florida average and 43% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 35.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Lee spends $12,577 per pupil district-wide, below the Florida average of $12,756 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 58.0% from local sources (property taxes), 25.0% from the state, and 17.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), 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 Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Florida state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21:1 | ▲ 15% | 18.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.2% | ▲ 43% | 52.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,456 | top 91% | — | — |
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
74.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 43% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21:1
students per teacher
— 15% above state mean
Top 82% in Florida — lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
35.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,577
per pupil, district-wide
— below Florida avg of $12,756
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,456 Top 91% in Florida — larger than 9% of 4,029 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 62.0
Students per teacher 21:1 +15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 74.2% +43% vs state
NCES ID 120108002472
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 63.8%
African American 24.3%
White 8.8%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 35.0%
In-school suspensions 10
Out-of-school suspensions 24
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee, which includes Sunshine Elementary School.
$12,577
Per student
-1%
vs Florida
Avg $12,756
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 25.0%
Federal 17.0%
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
- 3,192
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Enrollment
- 2,550
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,191
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,129
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
Similar other schools in Lehigh Acres
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
Standard public school
1,937 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Mirror Lakes Elementary School
Standard public school
1,237 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Lehigh Elementary School
Standard public school
1,207 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Tortuga Preserve Elementary School
Standard public school
1,172 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Harns Marsh Elementary School
Standard public school
1,103 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
G. Weaver Hipps Elementary School
Standard public school
960 students 21:1 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 Elementary School
How many students attend Sunshine Elementary School?
Sunshine Elementary School has 1,456 students enrolled. It is a other school in LEHIGH ACRES, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunshine Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunshine Elementary School is 21:1, which is 15% higher than the Florida average of 18.3:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunshine Elementary School?
74.2% of students at Sunshine Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunshine Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sunshine Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 63.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in LEHIGH ACRES, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunshine Elementary School?
Sunshine Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.