Sunshine Elementary

Q: Is Sunshine Elementary a good school?

Sunshine Elementary ranks 573 rd of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Sunshine Elementary is a public elementary school located in Springfield, Missouri, serving 351 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Springfield R-XII district, which is ranked 182 out of 386 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sunshine Elementary has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past decade, dropping from a high of 310 out of 1,108 Missouri elementary schools in 2012-2013 to its current ranking of 573 out of 906 in 2023-2024. Its SchoolDigger star rating has also decreased from 4 stars to 2 stars during this time. The school faces several key challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages, and a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds (75.21% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch).

Interestingly, Sunshine Elementary's performance is generally lower than that of nearby schools within the same district, such as Pershing Elementary, Horace Mann Elementary, and Field Elementary, which tend to have higher academic proficiency rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and lower percentages of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. The nearby school with the most similar demographics to Sunshine Elementary is McGregor Elementary, which also faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism and low academic performance.

Detail:

Public K-5

421 E Sunshine
Springfield, MO 65807-2642

(417) 523-5200

District: Springfield R-Xii

SchoolDigger Rank:
573^rd of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,701

Students who attend Sunshine Elementary usually attend:

High:

Parkview High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 351

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.5%

Hispanic:

10.3%

African American:

9.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.2%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Sunshine Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sunshine Elementary ranks worse than 63.2% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 18^th among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Springfield R-Xii School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.43. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 Sunshine Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Springfield R-Xii School District. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details

Compare

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sunshine Elementary is $11,701. 21 elementary schools in the Springfield R-Xii School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sunshine Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunshine Elementary 573^rd of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Sunshine Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Springfield R-Xii:

SchoolDigger ranks Springfield R-Xii 182^nd of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Sunshine Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Sunshine Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Sunshine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	59.12	391^st	1074	63.6%
2007	50.12	566^th	1080	47.6%
2008	60.25	384^th	1084	64.6%
2009	51.69	541^st	1053	48.6%
2010	53.07	526^th	1066	50.7%
2011	60.81	441^st	1088	59.5%
2012	49.59	613^th	1085	43.5%
2013	68.11	310^th	1108	72.0%
2014	57.23	457^th	1089	58.0%
2015	45.13	633^rd	1058	40.2%
2017	51.02	519^th	1032	49.7%
2018	58.41	417^th	1045	60.1%
2019	52.88	491^st	1052	53.3%
2021	30.77	652^nd	901	27.6%
2022	26.25	682^nd	908	24.9%
2023	37.80	586^th	898	34.7%
2024	38.43	573^rd	906	36.8%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sunshine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	59.88	294^th	887	66.9%
2019	48.22	458^th	907	49.5%
2021	29.79	434^th	574	24.4%
2022	32.98	373^rd	532	29.9%
2023	48.48	284^th	611	53.5%
2024	58.08	208^th	625	66.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Sunshine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	57.00	367^th	898	59.1%
2019	57.98	346^th	917	62.3%
2021	8.24	664^th	691	3.9%
2022	19.30	583^rd	675	13.6%
2023	27.07	525^th	673	22.0%
2024	37.69	428^th	668	35.9%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Sunshine Elementary.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Sunshine Elementary, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Sunshine Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	253	253
1992	246	4	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	253
1993	264	8	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	276
1994	282	6	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	294
1995	244	19	3	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	274
1996	244	19	3	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	274
1997	220	18	1	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	248
1998	231	20	0	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	259
1999	199	16	0	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	221
2000	190	13	2	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	211
2001	175	19	0	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	200
2002	177	15	0	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	196
2003	177	15	0	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	196
2004	176	11	0	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	194
2005	153	21	0	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	183
2006	148	19	1	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	183
2007	160	20	1	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	193
2008	146	14	3	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	173
2009	177	13	2	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	204
2010	183	22	2	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	219
2011	179	8	1	4	0	0	0	0	192
2012	168	14	3	14	0	2	5	0	206
2013	188	15	2	9	0	2	7	0	223
2014	192	14	1	11	0	1	9	0	228
2015	188	14	1	9	0	1	6	0	219
2016	172	8	0	10	1	1	10	0	202
2017	162	12	1	9	0	1	9	0	194
2018	155	8	5	12	3	2	14	0	199
2019	140	14	6	8	1	2	9	0	180
2020	131	6	5	8	3	1	7	0	161
2021	199	30	1	27	2	0	23	0	282
2022	217	34	1	22	3	0	22	0	299
2023	251	33	2	36	5	2	22	0	351

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 Sunshine Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	253	10.6	23.8	18.6
1992	253	11.3	22.3	18.2
1993	276	12.6	21.9	22.5
1994	294	13.8	21.3	33
1995	274	13.9	19.7	33.2
1996	274	13.9	19.7	33.2
1997	248	13.8	18.0	20.2
1998	259	13.8	18.8	18.9
1999	221	13.7	16.1	36.2
2000	211	13.7	15.4	35.1
2001	200	13.7	14.6	35
2002	196	11.8	16.6	44.4
2003	196	11.8	16.6	44.4
2004	194	11.7	16.6	39.2
2005	183	10.3	17.8	50.3
2006	183	11.9	15.4	49.7
2007	193	10.8	17.9	55.4
2008	173	14.2	12.2	56.6
2009	204	13.5	15.0	60.8
2010	219	15.3	14.2	56.2
2011	192	15.1	12.6	60.4
2012	206	17.4	11.8	51
2013	223	15.1	14.6	57.8
2014	228	16.2	14.0	61.4
2015	219	16.0	13.6	63
2016	202	16.0	12.6	56.9
2017	194	12.1	15.9	51.5
2018	199	12.1	16.3	53.3
2019	180	12.1	14.8	57.2
2020	161	11.0	14.6	51.6
2021	282	18.6	15.1	78
2022	299	21.0	14.1	59.9
2023	351	23.7	14.8	75.2

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 Sunshine Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	253	10.6	23.8	18.6
1992	253	11.3	22.3	18.2
1993	276	12.6	21.9	22.5
1994	294	13.8	21.3	33
1995	274	13.9	19.7	33.2
1996	274	13.9	19.7	33.2
1997	248	13.8	18.0	20.2
1998	259	13.8	18.8	18.9
1999	221	13.7	16.1	36.2
2000	211	13.7	15.4	35.1
2001	200	13.7	14.6	35
2002	196	11.8	16.6	44.4
2003	196	11.8	16.6	44.4
2004	194	11.7	16.6	39.2
2005	183	10.3	17.8	50.3
2006	183	11.9	15.4	49.7
2007	193	10.8	17.9	55.4
2008	173	14.2	12.2	56.6
2009	204	13.5	15.0	60.8
2010	219	15.3	14.2	56.2
2011	192	15.1	12.6	60.4
2012	206	17.4	11.8	51
2013	223	15.1	14.6	57.8
2014	228	16.2	14.0	61.4
2015	219	16.0	13.6	63
2016	202	16.0	12.6	56.9
2017	194	12.1	15.9	51.5
2018	199	12.1	16.3	53.3
2019	180	12.1	14.8	57.2
2020	161	11.0	14.6	51.6
2021	282	18.6	15.1	78
2022	299	21.0	14.1	59.9
2023	351	23.7	14.8	75.2

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 Sunshine Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$718 (6.6%)	$10,202 (93.4%)	$10,919
2020	$1,326 (11.8%)	$9,913 (88.2%)	$11,239
2021	$941 (9.3%)	$9,137 (90.7%)	$10,078
2022	$2,771 (23.7%)	$8,930 (76.3%)	$11,701

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sunshine 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 491^st of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 586^th of 898 Elementary schools	18.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sunshine Elementary)	48.5	32.2	16.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	37	33.9	3.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sunshine Elementary)	50	44	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Springfield R-Xii)	46	39.5	6.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sunshine Elementary)	43.7	42.5	1.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	41.4	40.8	0.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sunshine Elementary)	60.6	40	20.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Springfield R-Xii)	50.2	45.6	4.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sunshine Elementary)	24.1	19.2	4.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	36	35.8	0.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Sunshine Elementary)	35.7	23.1	12.6%
5th Grade Science (Springfield R-Xii)	41.2	39.9	1.3%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sunshine Elementary)	62	38	24%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Springfield R-Xii)	49.3	46.8	2.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44	3.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	180	351	95%
African American	14	33	135.7%
American Indian	1	5	400%
Asian	6	2	66.7%
Hispanic	8	36	350%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	140	251	79.3%
Two or More Races	9	22	144.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.2%	75.2%	18%

Schools Near Sunshine Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)			MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sunshine Elementary	Public	K-5	421 E Sunshine	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-5200	351	24	14.8	75.2%	251 (71.5%)	33 (9.4%)	36 (10.3%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.4%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (6.3%)	38.4	573^rd of 906 public elementary schools	36.8%		37.8	586^th of 898 public elementary schools	34.7%	13	29.1	29.2	25.7	30.4	41.2	44.8	37.1	$11,701	$2,771	$8,930
Holland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2403 S Holland	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-4100	233	20	11.4	78.1%	150 (64.4%)	24 (10.3%)	36 (15.5%)	5 (2.1%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.9%)	60.6	345^th of 906 public elementary schools	61.9%		34.8	612^th of 898 public elementary schools	31.8%	267	38.3				53.8		41.0	$13,590	$2,480	$11,110
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2352 S Weaver	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-4300	323	25	12.9	69.7%	199 (61.6%)	38 (11.8%)	43 (13.3%)	11 (3.4%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	29 (9.0%)	27.8	677^th of 906 public elementary schools	25.3%		33.4	626^th of 898 public elementary schools	30.3%	51	34.0	37.0	10.8	12.6	30.4	44.7	23.7	$11,518	$1,332	$10,186
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1505 S Delaware	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-3700	303	28	10.6	65.7%	217 (71.6%)	33 (10.9%)	25 (8.3%)	7 (2.3%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.3%)	15 (5.0%)	34.4	613^th of 906 public elementary schools	32.3%		31.9	641^st of 898 public elementary schools	28.6%	28	21.0	22.9	30.7	36.5	28.5	29.5	44.1	$16,381	$2,411	$13,970
Rountree Elementary	Public	K-5	1333 E Grand	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-4900	226	16	14.5	48.2%	156 (69.0%)	25 (11.1%)	7 (3.1%)	10 (4.4%)	4 (1.8%)	5 (2.2%)	19 (8.4%)	34.9	608^th of 906 public elementary schools	32.9%		49.5	465^th of 898 public elementary schools	48.2%	143	30.6	30.4	22.3	28.7		45.7	34.7	$11,862	$2,145	$9,717
Cowden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2927 S Kimbrough	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-3500	274	20	14.0	62.4%	174 (63.5%)	21 (7.7%)	34 (12.4%)	24 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	20 (7.3%)	50.7	446^th of 906 public elementary schools	50.8%		40.9	559^th of 898 public elementary schools	37.8%	113	42.2	34.0	40.4	35.7	31.1	48.8	52.2	$12,190	$2,482	$9,708
McGregor Elementary	Public	K-5	1221 W Madison	Springfield	65806	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-5700	271	25	10.9	89.7%	146 (53.9%)	47 (17.3%)	46 (17.0%)	5 (1.8%)	6 (2.2%)	1 (0.4%)	20 (7.4%)	15.9	771^st of 906 public elementary schools	14.9%		10.2	819^th of 898 public elementary schools	8.8%	48	22.0	17.1	14.4	22.1		25.1	22.1	$11,920	$2,797	$9,122
Field Elementary	Public	K-5	2120 Barataria	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-4800	376	25	15.3	27.7%	304 (80.9%)	18 (4.8%)	20 (5.3%)	21 (5.6%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	9 (2.4%)	51.6	435^th of 906 public elementary schools	52.0%		57.6	379^th of 898 public elementary schools	57.8%	56	28.7	53.3	27.8	42.5	36.3	50.6	45.8	$11,619	$2,563	$9,056
Bingham Elementary	Public	K-5	2126 E. Cherry	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-3400	422	62	6.8	78.4%	268 (63.5%)	50 (11.8%)	53 (12.6%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (10.4%)	33	633^rd of 906 public elementary schools	30.1%		48	478^th of 898 public elementary schools	46.8%	155	20.5	41.4	21.5	30.9	25.8	48.3	34.3	$11,364	$2,775	$8,588
Pershing Elementary	Public	K-5	2120 Ventura	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-2400	153	11	13.9	56.2%	124 (81.0%)	8 (5.2%)	13 (8.5%)	4 (2.6%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	54.6	400^th of 906 public elementary schools	55.8%		59.2	362^nd of 898 public elementary schools	59.7%	38		36.9	40.7	29.7	57.6			$12,467	$2,585	$9,883

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunshine Elementary

How many students attend Sunshine Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 351 students attended Sunshine Elementary.

What district is Sunshine Elementary in?

Springfield R-Xii

What is the racial makeup of Sunshine Elementary?

Students at Sunshine Elementary are 72% White, 10% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Is Sunshine Elementary a good school?

Sunshine Elementary ranks 573^rd of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sunshine Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sunshine Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Parkview High

Rate Sunshine Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MOMissouri Elementary School Rankings

MOMissouri District Rankings

Schools in Springfield, MO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Sunshine Elementary!

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