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Parents: what's one thing you'd want the SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL administration to hear?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,456
Elementary
DISTRICT 805 · STATE 604
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LEE·NCES 120108002472
SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
601 SARA AVE N, LEHIGH ACRES, FL 33971 · (239) 369-5836 · Lee County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,456 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
19.7:1
74 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.2:1 · STATE 17.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
69%
998 students
DISTRICT 49% · STATE 50%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 98 | 7% |
| Kindergarten | 214 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 213 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 192 | 13% |
| Grade 3 | 265 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 199 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 275 | 19% |
This year's kindergarten class (214) is 22% smaller than its 5th grade class (275).
Student demographics
53%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 63% · STATE 70% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
FAST / B.E.S.T. 2024-25 . % at Level 3 or AboveEnglish Language Arts
32.6%
FL avg 56.7% . -3.6pp since 2023
Math
37.6%
FL avg 58.9% . +0.4pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 33 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 38 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Florida schools, those numbers are about 57 and 59. Reading and writing scores are down about 4 points since 2023, while math scores have held steady.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 32.6% | 37.6% |
| 2023-24 | 36.3% | 37.2% |
% at Level 3 or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: FAST / B.E.S.T.. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
36.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
46.8%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-10.0pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 37% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 47% typical for Florida schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Florida's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's state test result (36.8% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this school | 1,456 | 68.5% | 36.8% |
| BARTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LAKE WORTH | 1,185 | 68.6% | 35.7% |
| HORIZONS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DAVENPORT | 1,543 | 64.0% | 36.0% |
| HARNS MARSH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEHIGH ACRES | 1,103 | 67.8% | 39.9% |
| SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OCALA | 1,402 | 65.7% | 37.7% |
| MIRROR LAKES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEHIGH ACRES | 1,237 | 65.0% | 52.1% |
Matched among Florida elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Florida | In Lee County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 36.8% | #1,923 of 2,136 | #47 of 58 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 37.6% | #1,982 of 2,149 ▼ 66 | #51 of 58 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 32.6% | #2,006 of 2,149 ▼ 209 | #50 of 58 ▼ 7 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,456 | #35 of 2,267 | #2 of 61 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.7:1 | #1,920 of 2,077 | #45 of 57 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 52.5% | #1,249 of 2,108 | #39 of 58 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 68.5% | #517 of 2,188 | #9 of 59 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +25.2% | #139 of 621 | #5 of 31 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,456
+425 (+41%) vs 2020
+50% since 1990-91, when it was 972
Student : Teacher
19.7:1
was 15.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,456 | 74 | 19.7:1 | 69% (998) |
| 2023-24 | 1,377 | 57 | 24.2:1 | 75% (1,038) |
| 2022-23 | 1,301 | 62 | 21.0:1 | 74% (965) |
| 2020-21 | 1,031 | 66 | 15.6:1 | 72% (738) |
| 2017-18 | 1,163 | 82 | 14.2:1 | 76% (888) |
| 2015-16 | 1,179 | 80 | 14.7:1 | 74% (872) |
| 2010-11 | 1,133 | 75 | 15.1:1 | 84% (947) |
| 2000-01 | 942 | 51 | 18.5:1 | 58% (548) |
| 1990-91 | 972 | 46 | 21.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, located in LEHIGH ACRES, Florida, is a high-enrollment elementary school. It enrolls 1,456 students in 2024-25. The grades offered are pre-K through 5. That puts enrollment 141% larger than the 604-student average for elementary schools in Florida.
SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL falls under LEE, which has 116 schools enrolling 102,524 students.
The share of Hispanic students at SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is 64%, a majority. It is also 24% Black, 9% White, and 3% multiracial. For comparison, the population of Lee County is roughly 25% Hispanic. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 53, compared with 70 nationally.
The school lists 74 full-time-equivalent teachers and a student-to-teacher ratio of 19.7:1. The average for elementary schools in Florida, 17.5:1, is lower. A total of 998 students, or 69%, are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Across public schools in Lee County, the average is 48%.
SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL sits between the top and bottom 10% of Florida schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate across its state test results of 36.8% and a predicted 46.8%.
The school is in Lee County, where the median household earns about $76,107 a year, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 31% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 8%. SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL shares Lee County with 122 other public schools.
PALM ACRES CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL, about 0.2 miles away, is the closest public school. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. Compared with its nearest neighbors, SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 7th of 8 on average proficiency.
Its NCES locale code is Suburb: Large: the school is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Federal counts for SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: 1,031 students in 2020-21, 1,456 in 2024-25. A gap this wide can follow a change in the grades offered. Students per teacher increased from 15.6 in 2020-21 to 19.7 in 2024-25.
This page is a place to ask questions and share updates about open houses, carpools, and field trips at SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Lee County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
817,666
Census ACS
Median income
$76,107
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
123
102,524 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in LEE
- GATEWAY CHARTER SCHOOLCombined · 3,192 students
- LEHIGH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,550 students
- GATEWAY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,343 students
- IDA S. BAKER HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,191 students
- EAST LEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,129 students
- CAPE CORAL HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,008 students
Other schools in LEHIGH ACRES
- LEHIGH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,550 students
- EAST LEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,129 students
- VETERANS PARK ACADEMY FOR THE ARTSElementary · 1,937 students
- LEHIGH ACRES MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 1,509 students
- MIRROR LAKES ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 1,237 students
- LEHIGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 1,207 students
Other Sunshine Elementary schools
4 other US public schools in 3 states are named Sunshine Elementary. SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is the largest of the 5.
- SUNSHINE ELEMENTARYORLANDO, FL · 1,015 students
- SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLMIRAMAR, FL · 426 students
- SUNSHINE ELEM.SPRINGFIELD, MO · 353 students
- Sunshine Elementary SchoolBostic, NC · 217 students
Nearby schools
- PALM ACRES CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL0.2 mi · 274
- HARNS MARSH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.3 mi · 1,103
- HARNS MARSH MIDDLE SCHOOL1.5 mi · 905
- TORTUGA PRESERVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.9 mi · 1,172
- LEHIGH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL2.0 mi · 2,550
- VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL2.3 mi · 1,009
Frequently asked questions
About SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLWhat is the total enrollment at SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 1,456 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serve?
SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is approximately 19.7:1 (74 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
At SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, the student body is approximately 9% White, 64% Hispanic, 24% Black, 0% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is overseen by LEE in Lee County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.