SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, a substantial elementary campus in OCALA, Florida, run under MARION, caters to 1,402 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 604 students per school, that is 132% larger than typical.

MARION runs 62 schools in total, collectively educating 46,349 students. SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of those campuses.

Demographically, SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL lists that 54% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 25% Black, 16% White, 4% multiracial. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 17%.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has 73 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 19.2:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 17.5:1 average. An estimated 66% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Marion County runs at roughly 57%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 48.3%; this one delivers 37.7%.

Across the wider county, census data for Marion County shows median household income runs about $61,010, about 23% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of 68 public schools in Marion County (combined enrollment of about 46,349 students).

The closest other public school is HORIZON ACADEMY AT MARION OAKS, roughly 0.4 miles away. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 9th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 46.0%.

The campus sits in a town-center setting.

Looking at the recent track record. SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's enrollment has increased 72% since 2018, when it stood at 816 (now 1,402). Over the same period, the White share fell from 30% to 16%. Class-load math has widened: from 16.0:1 in 2018 to 19.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.