Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Prekindergarten· 31 schools in district

SUNSHINE CENTER

18400 EAST SALISBURY ROAD, INDEPENDENCE, MO 64056INDEPENDENCE 30 →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–PKNon-Charter
107
Students
Total enrolled
$16,029
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 12% vs nat'l
46/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
~avg
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 107 students in grades PK–PK in INDEPENDENCE, Missouri.
12% above average funding
District spends $16,029 per pupil, 12% more than the national average of $14,347.
Near-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 46th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

SUNSHINE CENTER is a small prekindergarten in INDEPENDENCE, Missouri, serving grades PK–PK with 107 students. The district invests $16,029 per student — 12% above the national average of $14,347. About 51% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at SUNSHINE CENTER

107
Total Students
—
Student:Teacher
51%
Free Lunch
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–PK) are served by this school
Gender Distribution53 male · 54 female
50%
50%
Male 50%Female 50%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility51%
National avg 52% · 55 students
Student Composition
63%
16%
10%
11%
White63%
Hispanic / Latino16%
Black10%
Multiracial11%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 291548003157

Academic Outcomes at SUNSHINE CENTER

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
46
/ 100
Near-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 46th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 63th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 64056

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$16,029Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$16,029
State avg
$15,564
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$7,053
Student Support$3,046
Administration$1,924
Operations$2,404
Other$1,603
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $16,029 spent per student, an estimated $7,101 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
35%
43%
State government
35.4%
Local (property tax)
42.9%
Federal programs
21.8%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
SYCAMORE HILLS ELEM.GLENDALE ELEM.KORTE ELEM.WILLIAM SOUTHERN ELEM.
+16 more
↓
Middle
CLIFFORD H. NOWLIN MIDDLEPIONEER RIDGE MIDDLEBINGHAM MIDDLEBRIDGER MIDDLE
↓
High School
TRUMAN HIGHWILLIAM CHRISMAN HIGHVAN HORN HIGHINDEPENDENCE ACADEMY
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelPrekindergarten
GradesPK – PK
Location—
CountyJackson County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictINDEPENDENCE 30 →
Phone: (816)461-0893
NCES ID: 291548003157
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in INDEPENDENCE seeking a public school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in INDEPENDENCE 30
High
TRUMAN HIGH
1,662 students · 09–12
● 43 opp52% FRL
High
WILLIAM CHRISMAN HIGH
1,406 students · 09–12
● 44 opp66% FRL
High
VAN HORN HIGH
1,047 students · 09–12
72% FRL
Mid
CLIFFORD H. NOWLIN MIDDLE
875 students · 06–08
● 39 opp80% FRL
Mid
PIONEER RIDGE MIDDLE
806 students · 07–08
● 44 opp61% FRL
Mid
BINGHAM MIDDLE
774 students · 07–08
● 44 opp69% FRL
Mid
BRIDGER MIDDLE
770 students · 06–06
● 44 opp65% FRL
Elem
SYCAMORE HILLS ELEM.
543 students · PK–05
● 43 opp55% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
18400 EAST SALISBURY ROAD, INDEPENDENCE, MO 64056
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Prekindergarten
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.