Enrollment
782
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · El Mirage, AZ
Surprise Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Surprise Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040269000201
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Surprise Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #2 of 5
- schools in El Mirage · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 62.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Surprise Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Surprise Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 schools in El Mirage, AZ.
School address
District: Dysart Unified District (4243) · Arizona
NCES ID 040269000201 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Surprise Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Surprise Elementary School
Surprise Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in El Mirage, Arizona, enrolling 782 students.
At 16.3:1, 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 62.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 782 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 258 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #51.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and White (17%) (diversity index 53/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Dysart Unified District (4243) spends $9,891 per pupil, 25% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Dysart Unified District (4243) also operates Valley Vista High School (2,334 students) and Shadow Ridge High School (2,212 students) alongside Surprise Elementary 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 Surprise Elementary School compares
Surprise Elementary 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 | 16.3:1 | ▼ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.0% | ▲ 28% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 782 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
782
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 48% in Arizona - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.7%
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
$9,891
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
59
in-school suspensions + 56 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.7 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 65.3%
White 16.6%
African American 10.1%
Two or More 5.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.3, Surprise Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dysart Unified District (4243), which includes Surprise Elementary School.
$9,891
Per student
-25%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.2%
State 44.3%
Federal 17.5%
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 Surprise Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Vista High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shadow Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willow Canyon High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dysart High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Surprise Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,334
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,212
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,901
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,471
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~782 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Surprise Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Surprise Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dysart Unified District (4243)'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 Surprise Elementary School
How many students attend Surprise Elementary School?
Surprise Elementary School has 782 students enrolled. It is a public school in El Mirage, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Surprise Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Surprise Elementary School is 16.3:1, which is 4% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 4% 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 Surprise Elementary School?
62.0% of students at Surprise Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Surprise Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Surprise Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 65.3% of enrollment, in El Mirage, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Surprise Elementary School?
Surprise Elementary 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 Surprise Elementary School rank among schools in El Mirage?
By Resource Investment Index, Surprise Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 schools in El Mirage, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in El Mirage on the city page.
Is Surprise Elementary School a good school?
Surprise Elementary 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 Dysart Unified District (4243)?
Besides Surprise Elementary School, Dysart Unified District (4243) also operates Valley Vista High School (2,334 students), Shadow Ridge High School (2,212 students), and Willow Canyon High School (1,901 students). See the Dysart Unified District (4243) 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.