Sunnyside Elementary School

Q: Is Sunnyside Elementary School a good school?

Sunnyside Elementary School ranks 707 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Sunnyside Elementary School is a public elementary school in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving 705 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the MSD Lawrence Township school district, which is ranked 279 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sunnyside Elementary faces significant challenges, including a student population that is 67.66% Hispanic, significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which range from 9.38% to 51.7% Hispanic. The school's test scores are consistently lower than the district and state averages, with only 21.83% of Sunnyside students proficient or better in ILEARN/English Language Arts, compared to 27.12% for the district and 38.6-41.8% statewide. Sunnyside also has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 19.7% to 26.5% over the past three years, and a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 71.52% to 78.3%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Compared to nearby schools in the district, such as Winding Ridge Elementary, Mary Evelyn Castle Elementary, Crestview Elementary, and Oaklandon Elementary, Sunnyside's performance lags behind, with lower test scores, higher chronic absenteeism, and a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students. The exception is Forest Glen Elementary, which is the highest-performing school in the district and one of the top-performing elementary schools in the state.

Detail:

Public K-6

6345 Sunnyside Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46236

(317) 964-4500

District: MSD Lawrence Township

SchoolDigger Rank:
707^th of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,398

Students who attend Sunnyside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Fall Creek Valley Middle School
High:	Lawrence North High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.4

Number of students: 705

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

67.7%

African American:

21.7%

White:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.3%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Sunnyside Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sunnyside Elementary School ranks worse than 70% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 6^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the MSD Lawrence Township School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.09. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (67.7%), African American (21.7%), White (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 78.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sunnyside Elementary School is 17.4, which is the 4^th best among 11 elementary schools in the MSD Lawrence Township School District. (See more...)

Compare Sunnyside Elementary School employs 40.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sunnyside Elementary School is $11,398, which is the 3^rd highest among 11 elementary schools in the MSD Lawrence Township School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Sunnyside Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

MSD Lawrence Township:

SchoolDigger ranks MSD Lawrence Township 282^nd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sunnyside Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	44.30	624^th	959	34.9%
2006	54.51	494^th	961	48.6%
2007	40.38	694^th	985	29.5%
2008	36.14	751^st	996	24.6%
2009	31.23	781^st	1003	22.1%
2010	40.40	707^th	1009	29.9%
2011	43.94	706^th	1025	31.1%
2012	38.03	744^th	1015	26.7%
2013	45.43	676^th	1035	34.7%
2014	25.68	883^rd	1036	14.8%
2015	20.28	904^th	1040	13.1%
2016	26.08	849^th	1046	18.8%
2017	17.49	893^rd	1033	13.6%
2018	16.61	886^th	1027	13.7%
2019	27.50	803^rd	1031	22.1%
2021	15.20	853^rd	1016	16.0%
2022	22.68	800^th	1020	21.6%
2023	22.89	795^th	1016	21.8%
2024	32.09	707^th	1010	30.0%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Very poor quality education at Sunnyside. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Sunnyside Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1999	486	136	15	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	646
2000	530	182	16	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	741
2001	506	240	15	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	776
2002	450	270	6	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	738
2003	450	270	6	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	738
2004	467	273	12	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	768
2005	305	185	7	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	514
2006	279	222	7	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	524
2007	233	197	7	8	0	n/a	n/a	32	477
2008	208	182	5	87	1	n/a	n/a	43	526
2009	186	191	4	101	0	n/a	n/a	50	532
2010	152	177	2	123	0	n/a	n/a	45	499
2011	222	151	7	238	1	0	46	0	665
2012	202	161	5	276	0	0	54	0	698
2013	182	151	4	327	1	3	48	0	716
2014	147	166	2	349	1	3	43	0	711
2015	115	163	4	377	1	2	30	0	692
2016	106	177	8	383	1	2	37	0	714
2017	78	181	9	419	2	2	41	0	732
2018	73	176	4	453	2	2	41	0	751
2019	69	198	4	443	1	1	33	0	749
2020	45	183	3	459	0	1	37	0	728
2021	38	160	2	434	0	1	35	0	670
2022	33	148	3	430	0	0	39	0	653
2023	37	153	4	477	0	0	34	0	705

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sunnyside Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	646	33.6	19.2	n/a
2000	741	38.6	19.2	18.5
2001	776	41.0	18.9	18.3
2002	738	39.0	18.9	28.5
2003	738	39.0	18.9	28.5
2004	768	40.0	19.2	27
2005	514	31.5	16.3	24.3
2006	524	30.5	17.2	33.4
2007	477	n/a	n/a	34.4
2008	526	32.0	16.4	47.4
2009	532	32.0	16.6	54.4
2010	499	31.0	16.1	58.4
2011	665	35.1	18.9	62.1
2012	698	33.0	21.1	67.2
2013	716	40.0	17.9	70.9
2014	711	37.0	19.2	76.5
2015	692	35.0	19.7	80.1
2016	714	36.0	19.8	82.8
2017	732	39.5	18.5	82.7
2018	751	39.5	18.9	84.2
2019	749	40.0	18.7	73.3
2020	728	36.0	20.2	74.3
2021	670	36.0	18.6	76.9
2022	653	42.5	15.3	71.5
2023	705	40.5	17.4	78.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sunnyside Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	646	33.6	19.2	n/a
2000	741	38.6	19.2	18.5
2001	776	41.0	18.9	18.3
2002	738	39.0	18.9	28.5
2003	738	39.0	18.9	28.5
2004	768	40.0	19.2	27
2005	514	31.5	16.3	24.3
2006	524	30.5	17.2	33.4
2007	477	n/a	n/a	34.4
2008	526	32.0	16.4	47.4
2009	532	32.0	16.6	54.4
2010	499	31.0	16.1	58.4
2011	665	35.1	18.9	62.1
2012	698	33.0	21.1	67.2
2013	716	40.0	17.9	70.9
2014	711	37.0	19.2	76.5
2015	692	35.0	19.7	80.1
2016	714	36.0	19.8	82.8
2017	732	39.5	18.5	82.7
2018	751	39.5	18.9	84.2
2019	749	40.0	18.7	73.3
2020	728	36.0	20.2	74.3
2021	670	36.0	18.6	76.9
2022	653	42.5	15.3	71.5
2023	705	40.5	17.4	78.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sunnyside Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$690 (7.7%)	$8,258 (92.3%)	$8,948
2020	$621 (7.0%)	$8,251 (93.0%)	$8,872
2021	$885 (9.1%)	$8,878 (90.9%)	$9,763
2022	$1,374 (12.1%)	$10,024 (87.9%)	$11,398

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sunnyside Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 803^rd of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 795^th of 1016 Elementary schools	0.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sunnyside Elementary School)	26.6	6.5	20.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (MSD Lawrence Township)	34.1	25.2	8.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Sunnyside Elementary School)	41.1	17.6	23.5%
3rd Grade Math (MSD Lawrence Township)	45.2	35.1	10.1%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sunnyside Elementary School)	30.1	21	9.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Lawrence Township)	34.5	25.4	9.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Sunnyside Elementary School)	35.9	20	15.9%
4th Grade Math (MSD Lawrence Township)	42.4	28.2	14.3%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Sunnyside Elementary School)	30.1	19.2	10.9%
4th Grade Science (MSD Lawrence Township)	31	19.4	11.6%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sunnyside Elementary School)	43	27	16%
5th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Lawrence Township)	35.5	23.5	12%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Sunnyside Elementary School)	50.7	27.3	23.4%
5th Grade Math (MSD Lawrence Township)	38.9	21.3	17.7%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Sunnyside Elementary School)	43	32.7	10.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (MSD Lawrence Township)	33.2	23.3	9.9%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Sunnyside Elementary School)	19.8	26.6	6.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Lawrence Township)	38	31	7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Sunnyside Elementary School)	22.9	21.6	1.3%
6th Grade Math (MSD Lawrence Township)	36.5	25.2	11.3%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Sunnyside Elementary School)	16.8	18	1.2%
6th Grade Science (MSD Lawrence Township)	29.3	22.9	6.4%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	749	705	5.9%
African American	198	153	22.7%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	4	4
Hispanic	443	477	7.7%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	69	37	46.4%
Two or More Races	33	34	3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.3%	78.3%	5%

Schools Near Sunnyside Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)					ILEARN Math (2024)					ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sunnyside Elementary School	Public	K-6	6345 Sunnyside Rd	Indianapolis	46236	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 964-4500	705	41	17.4	78.3%	37 (5.2%)	153 (21.7%)	477 (67.7%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.8%)	32.1	707^th of 1010 public elementary schools	30.0%		22.9	795^th of 1016 public elementary schools	21.8%	88	9.6	15.5	29.6	30.8	21.8	27.7	16.4	47.0	29.0	30.3	37.4	$11,398	$1,374	$10,024
Early Learning Center	Public	PK-K	6501 Sunnysdie Rd	Indianapolis	46236	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 423-8200	1,298	55	23.6	66.6%	288 (22.2%)	622 (47.9%)	237 (18.3%)	16 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	133 (10.2%)								(n/a)												$13,931	$3,509	$10,423
Oaklandon Elementary School	Public	1-6	6702 Oaklandon Rd	Indianapolis	46236	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 964-4800	483	30	16.3	66.9%	128 (26.5%)	232 (48.0%)	60 (12.4%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (11.6%)	32.7	696^th of 1010 public elementary schools	31.1%		31.8	709^th of 1016 public elementary schools	30.2%	13	31.9	27.5	27.3	22.8	27.1	45.8	33.0	30.7	23.9	32.7	28.4	$12,715	$2,538	$10,178
Indian Creek Elementary School	Public, Magnet	1-6	10833 E 56th St	Indianapolis	46236	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	Yes	No	Yes	(317) 964-4400	707	39	18.1	84.7%	71 (10.0%)	250 (35.4%)	347 (49.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.4%)	17.2	841^st of 1010 public elementary schools	16.7%		16.3	854^th of 1016 public elementary schools	15.9%	13	11.1	15.4	19.7	34.4	20.1	19.1	18.8	9.8	22.1	17.5	16.4	$11,050	$1,828	$9,222
Forest Glen Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	6333 Lee Rd	Indianapolis	46236	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	Yes	No	No	(317) 964-4900	880	38	23.1	51.5%	230 (26.1%)	128 (14.5%)	455 (51.7%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	63 (7.2%)	83	155^th of 1010 public elementary schools	84.7%		84.5	136^th of 1016 public elementary schools	86.6%	19	46.9	55.9	72.0	57.7	57.5	54.9	67.6	73.9	45.4	60.3	67.7	$9,551	$955	$8,596
Amy Beverland Elementary	Public	1-6	11650 Fox Rd	Indianapolis	46236	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-4000	810	42	19.2	44.2%	356 (44.0%)	287 (35.4%)	76 (9.4%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (10.1%)	62.7	380^th of 1010 public elementary schools	62.4%		66	347^th of 1016 public elementary schools	65.8%	33	48.7	44.9	31.6	54.4	45.5	56.1	47.8	35.1	43.4	46.3	39.5	$10,505	$1,297	$9,207
Winding Ridge Elementary School	Public	1-6	11825 E 46th St	Indianapolis	46236	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 964-6800	620	38	16.5	82.6%	22 (3.5%)	484 (78.1%)	62 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	49 (7.9%)	11	919^th of 1010 public elementary schools	9.0%		10.4	910^th of 1016 public elementary schools	10.4%	9	10.0	20.0	11.8	13.8	14.0	17.0	24.0	8.7	13.9	16.1	9.8	$10,705	$2,163	$8,542
McCordsville Elementary School	Public	K-5	7177 N 600 W	McCordsville	46055	Hancock County	Mt Vernon Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 336-7760	673	46	14.5	24.8%	482 (71.6%)	70 (10.4%)	54 (8.0%)	16 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	49 (7.3%)	79.3	193^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	80.9%		71	291^st of 1016 public elementary schools	71.4%	98	58.3	45.4	52.1		51.6	78.3	60.8	48.8		62.3	53.7	$9,132	$434	$8,698
PLA@Promise Prep	Public, Charter	K-3	4430 N Post Rd	Indianapolis	46226	Marion County	Promise Prep	Yes	No	No	No	(317) 998-4643	69	8	8.6	58.0%	0 (0.0%)	24 (34.8%)	44 (63.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	5.3	993^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	1.7%					(n/a)	5.9	9.1			7.1	17.7	9.1			14.3		$25,109	$12,207	$12,902
Mary Evelyn Castle Elementary School	Public	1-6	8502 E 82nd St	Indianapolis	46256	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-4600	713	38	18.8	61.4%	187 (26.2%)	261 (36.6%)	199 (27.9%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (8.3%)	47.1	558^th of 1010 public elementary schools	44.8%		46.6	573^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	43.6%	15	23.2	38.8	36.2	38.5	33.7	44.5	54.1	33.7	40.4	43.9	26.0	$10,267	$840	$9,427

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunnyside Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Sunnyside Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sunnyside Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fall Creek Valley Middle School
High : Lawrence North High School

Is Sunnyside Elementary School a good school?

Sunnyside Elementary School ranks 707^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Sunnyside Elementary School in?

MSD Lawrence Township

How many students attend Sunnyside Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 705 students attended Sunnyside Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Sunnyside Elementary School?

Students at Sunnyside Elementary School are 68% Hispanic, 22% African American, 5% White, 5% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.