Sunflower Elementary

Summary:

Sunflower Elementary is a public elementary school located in Lawrence, Kansas, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 468 students. The school consistently outperforms the Lawrence school district and the state of Kansas in student academic achievement, particularly in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.

Sunflower Elementary's strong performance extends across various student subgroups, including Hispanic, White, Multi-racial, and Special Education students. Despite a significant increase in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students, the school has maintained its academic excellence, ranking 53rd out of 541 Kansas elementary schools in ELA for low-income students in 2022-2023. Compared to nearby schools like Woodlawn Elementary, Prairie Park Elementary, and Deerfield Elementary, Sunflower's student performance is significantly higher in both ELA and Mathematics.

Despite having a lower per-student spending and a higher student-teacher ratio than some nearby schools, Sunflower Elementary has maintained its strong academic performance, suggesting that factors beyond just funding and class size may be contributing to the school's success. The only nearby school that consistently outperforms Sunflower is Langston Hughes Elementary, which ranks exceptionally high in the state for student achievement across multiple subjects.


Detail:

Public K-5

 2521 Inverness Drive
       Lawrence, KS  66047


(785) 832-5870

District: Lawrence

SchoolDigger Rank:
224th of 653 Kansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,519 Help


Students who attend Sunflower Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Lawrence Southwest Middle School
High:    Lawrence High

Student/teacher ratio:  16.1 Help
Number of students:  468

Racial breakdown:

White:
63.0%
Hispanic:
13.2%
Two or more races:
12.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  46.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sunflower Elementary ranks better than 65.7% of elementary schools in Kansas. It also ranks 4th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Lawrence School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.99. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Sunflower Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (63%), Hispanic (13.2%), two or more races (12.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 46.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sunflower Elementary is 16.1. 6 elementary schools in the Lawrence School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sunflower Elementary employs 29 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sunflower Elementary is $9,519. 7 elementary schools in the Lawrence School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sunflower Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunflower Elementary 224th of 653 Kansas public elementary schools. (See Sunflower Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
White students:


Lawrence:

SchoolDigger ranks Lawrence 101st of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Sunflower Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 67.39 201st 585 65.6%
2007 62.67 256th 600 57.3%
2008 63.48 265th 614 56.8%
2009 60.94 286th 621 53.9%
2010 54.08 357th 630 43.3%
2011 73.27 133rd 631 78.9%
2012 67.92 220th 660 66.7%
2013 64.17 282nd 668 57.8%
2015 57.42 276th 678 59.3%
2016 60.09 238th 656 63.7%
2017 53.94 302nd 659 54.2%
2018 52.78 312th 656 52.4%
2019 54.59 289th 667 56.7%
2021 65.98 212th 670 68.4%
2022 75.31 129th 668 80.7%
2023 73.29 138th 660 79.1%
2024 61.99 224th 653 65.7%
See the entire list of Kansas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 60.58 11th 29 62.1%
2023 88.13 3rd 30 90.0%
2024 56.00 17th 41 58.5%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 79.75 25th 193 87.0%
2021 58.60 68th 214 68.2%
2022 53.88 119th 305 61.0%
2023 45.84 158th 296 46.6%
2024 61.09 93rd 306 69.6%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.43 394th 512 23.0%
2019 47.26 271st 509 46.8%
2021 62.60 149th 494 69.8%
2022 73.64 67th 512 86.9%
2023 77.21 53rd 541 90.2%
2024 56.23 221st 546 59.5%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.11 284th 574 50.5%
2019 59.18 232nd 591 60.7%
2021 64.15 182nd 591 69.2%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 79.75 25th 193 87.0%
2021 58.60 68th 214 68.2%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.06 263rd 575 54.3%
2019 49.07 293rd 586 50.0%
2021 68.65 159th 605 73.7%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.43 164th 207 20.8%
2019 60.32 74th 235 68.5%
2023 78.88 28th 245 88.6%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sunflower Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.63 178th 574 69.0%
2019 53.88 257th 592 56.6%
2021 67.11 161st 587 72.6%
2022 72.92 124th 596 79.2%
2023 67.88 147th 584 74.8%
2024 61.48 199th 579 65.6%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Sunflower Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Kansas State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Sunflower Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1995 405 37 16 8 15 n/a n/a 0 481
1996 405 37 16 8 15 n/a n/a 0 481
1997 412 37 16 12 15 n/a n/a 0 492
1998 426 38 13 21 16 n/a n/a 0 514
1999 410 23 15 18 16 n/a n/a 0 482
2000 424 29 18 24 22 n/a n/a 0 517
2001 357 16 18 17 16 n/a n/a 0 424
2002 298 27 14 22 9 n/a n/a 0 370
2003 298 27 14 22 9 n/a n/a 0 370
2004 316 19 16 17 14 n/a n/a 27 409
2005 323 26 18 18 16 n/a n/a 30 431
2006 328 30 16 17 8 n/a n/a 36 435
2007 351 46 27 23 26 n/a n/a 0 473
2008 355 42 25 22 28 n/a n/a 4 476
2009 341 43 48 27 18 n/a n/a 5 482
2010 330 27 33 41 18 0 31 0 480
2011 323 35 32 42 17 2 29 0 480
2012 321 38 31 44 17 4 33 0 488
2014 305 28 31 49 18 7 39 0 477
2015 319 23 28 47 15 5 53 0 490
2016 304 32 25 51 24 2 52 0 490
2017 302 27 14 47 22 2 64 0 478
2018 297 26 14 46 15 0 54 0 452
2019 302 18 14 64 12 0 53 0 463
2020 290 21 13 48 9 0 54 0 435
2021 288 19 9 53 10 0 52 0 431
2022 291 26 9 57 11 0 64 0 458
2023 295 30 10 62 11 2 58 0 468

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 Sunflower Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 481 26.8 17.9 16.8
1996 481 26.8 17.9 16.8
1997 492 30.9 15.9 16.1
1998 514 31.9 16.1 15.4
1999 482 31.5 15.3 11.6
2000 517 30.0 17.2 13
2001 424 26.8 15.8 9.7
2002 370 23.1 16.0 8.6
2003 370 23.1 16.0 8.6
2004 409 22.7 18.0 14.9
2005 431 25.6 16.8 18.2
2006 435 27.8 15.6 16
2007 473 29.0 16.3 17.3
2008 476 28.8 16.5 23.5
2009 482 31.9 15.1 28.3
2010 480 31.7 15.1 28.8
2011 480 30.1 15.9 34.8
2012 488 32.7 14.9 39.1
2014 477 33.0 14.4 44.7
2015 490 32.0 15.3 46.7
2016 490 31.0 15.8 47.8
2017 478 29.9 15.9 44.6
2018 452 27.5 16.4 44.9
2019 463 30.4 15.2 45.6
2020 435 31.0 14.0 40.9
2021 431 30.7 14.0 37.8
2022 458 33.7 13.5 31.9
2023 468 29.0 16.1 46.6

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 Sunflower Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 481 26.8 17.9 16.8
1996 481 26.8 17.9 16.8
1997 492 30.9 15.9 16.1
1998 514 31.9 16.1 15.4
1999 482 31.5 15.3 11.6
2000 517 30.0 17.2 13
2001 424 26.8 15.8 9.7
2002 370 23.1 16.0 8.6
2003 370 23.1 16.0 8.6
2004 409 22.7 18.0 14.9
2005 431 25.6 16.8 18.2
2006 435 27.8 15.6 16
2007 473 29.0 16.3 17.3
2008 476 28.8 16.5 23.5
2009 482 31.9 15.1 28.3
2010 480 31.7 15.1 28.8
2011 480 30.1 15.9 34.8
2012 488 32.7 14.9 39.1
2014 477 33.0 14.4 44.7
2015 490 32.0 15.3 46.7
2016 490 31.0 15.8 47.8
2017 478 29.9 15.9 44.6
2018 452 27.5 16.4 44.9
2019 463 30.4 15.2 45.6
2020 435 31.0 14.0 40.9
2021 431 30.7 14.0 37.8
2022 458 33.7 13.5 31.9
2023 468 29.0 16.1 46.6

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 Sunflower Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $431 (4.5%) $9,088 (95.5%) $9,519

Data source: Kansas Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sunflower Elementary

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 289th of 667 Elementary schoolsRanks 138th of 660 Elementary schools
 22.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sunflower Elementary)3955.7
 16.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)47.945.2
 2.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)40.638.1
 2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sunflower Elementary)45.164.5
 19.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)52.757.5
 4.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas)50.350.4
 0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sunflower Elementary)49.353.1
 3.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)54.349.5
 4.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)47.642.8
 4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sunflower Elementary)5040.2
 9.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)40.737.2
 3.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)36.137.6
 1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sunflower Elementary)42.449.4
 7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)49.447.9
 1.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)43.539.6
 4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sunflower Elementary)42.438.2
 4.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)38.834.9
 3.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)31.931.3
 0.6%
5th Grade Science (Sunflower Elementary)40.758.4
 17.8%
   5th Grade Science (Lawrence)4945.8
 3.1%
   5th Grade Science (Kansas)43.142.1
 1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students463468
 1.1%
African American1830
 66.7%
American Indian1211
 8.3%
Asian1410
 28.6%
Hispanic6462
 3.1%
Pacific Islander02
White302295
 2.3%
Two or More Races5358
 9.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients45.6%46.6%
 1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Sunflower Elementary

Students at Sunflower Elementary are 63% White, 13% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 6% African American, 2% American Indian, 2% Asian.

Students who attend Sunflower Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lawrence Southwest Middle School
High : Lawrence High

Sunflower Elementary ranks 224th of 653 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 468 students attended Sunflower Elementary.


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





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