Public schools in Surprise, AZ
36 open public schools with an address in Surprise, operated by 14 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
36
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
28,717
35 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
18.5:1
Arizona median 16.7:1
Charter schools
13
0 virtual
An overview of Surprise public schools
The federal directory lists 36 public schools in Surprise, AZ: 19 elementary, 2 middle, 12 high, 3 combined or other. The 35 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 28,717 students, an average of 820 per school. The largest campus is Valley Vista High School (2,334 students), and the largest elementary school is Legacy Traditional School - Surprise (1,797).
Dysart Unified District (4243) operates the most schools here (17), and 2 regular districts have at least one Surprise campus, plus 12 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 18.5:1, higher than the statewide school median of 16.7:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 13 charter schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 7 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 5 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 5 of 7 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
School districts and agencies serving Surprise
Dysart Unified District (4243)
Public school district
17 schools in Surprise · 25 total
West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923)
Specialized public school district
5 schools in Surprise · 63 total
Paragon Management Inc. (5180)
Independent charter agency
3 schools in Surprise
American Leadership Academy Inc. (4348)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise · 15 total
Calibre Academy (79055)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise
Highland Prep (92982)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise
Imagine Middle at Surprise Inc. (88372)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise
Imagine Prep Surprise Inc. (89790)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise
Legacy Traditional School - Surprise (92879)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise · 2 total
Legacy Traditional School - West Surprise (1000560)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise
Nadaburg Unified School District (4252)
Public school district
1 school in Surprise · 4 total
Rosefield Charter Elementary School Inc. (87399)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise
Success School (79453)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise
ThrivePoint High School Inc. (79059)
Independent charter agency
1 school in Surprise · 7 total
Elementary schools in Surprise
19| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asante Preparatory Academy Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 876 | 18.3:1 | |
| Ashton Ranch Middle School Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 480 | 16.6:1 | |
| Calibre Academy Surprise Calibre Academy (79055) · Charter | KG–08 | 538 | 18.6:1 | |
| Canyon Ridge School Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 1,042 | 20.5:1 | |
| Cimarron Springs Middle School Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 810 | 21.3:1 | |
| Countryside Elementary School Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 590 | 14.8:1 | |
| Desert Oasis Elementary School Nadaburg Unified School District (4252) | PK–08 | 753 | 10.4:1 | |
| Freedom Traditional Academy Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 529 | 18.2:1 | |
| Imagine Rosefield Rosefield Charter Elementary School Inc. (87399) · Charter | KG–05 | 521 | 18.6:1 | |
| Kingswood Elementary School Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 826 | 17.6:1 | |
| Legacy Traditional School - Surprise Legacy Traditional School - Surprise (92879) · Charter | KG–08 | 1,797 | 46.1:1 | |
| Legacy Traditional School - West Surprise Legacy Traditional School - West Surprise (1000560) · Charter | KG–08 | 1,231 | 53.5:1 | |
| Marley Park Elementary Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 1,023 | 19.5:1 | |
| Paradise Honors Elementary School Paragon Management Inc. (5180) · Charter | KG–08 | 1,264 | 13.3:1 | |
| Rancho Gabriela Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 574 | 19.1:1 | |
| Sonoran Heights Middle School Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 560 | 20.7:1 | |
| Sunset Hills Elementary Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 877 | 19.3:1 | |
| West Point Elementary School Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 797 | 17.9:1 | |
| Western Peaks Elementary Dysart Unified District (4243) | PK–08 | 763 | 18.1:1 |
Middle schools in Surprise
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imagine Surprise Middle Imagine Middle at Surprise Inc. (88372) · Charter | 06–08 | 248 | 12.4:1 | |
| Paradise Honors Middle School Paragon Management Inc. (5180) · Charter | 06–08 | 696 | 18.3:1 |
High schools in Surprise
12| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Prep Highland Prep (92982) · Charter | 09–12 | 505 | 23:1 | |
| Imagine Prep Surprise Imagine Prep Surprise Inc. (89790) · Charter | 09–12 | 251 | 16.7:1 | |
| Northwest Campus West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) · Career and Technical School | 10–12 | 40 | 2.1:1 | |
| Paradise Honors High School Paragon Management Inc. (5180) · Charter | 09–12 | 1,028 | 17.4:1 | |
| Shadow Ridge High School Dysart Unified District (4243) | 07–12 | 2,212 | 21.3:1 | |
| ThrivePoint High School at Surprise ThrivePoint High School Inc. (79059) · Charter · Alternative School | 09–12 | 323 | 184.6:1 | |
| Valley Vista High School Dysart Unified District (4243) | 07–12 | 2,334 | 23.9:1 | |
| West-MEC - Shadow Ridge High School West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 2 | — | |
| West-MEC - Valley Vista High School West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| West-MEC - Willow Canyon High School West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 1 | — | |
| West-MEC Paradise Honors West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Willow Canyon High School Dysart Unified District (4243) | 07–12 | 1,901 | 24.4:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Surprise
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Leadership Academy West Foothills K-12 American Leadership Academy Inc. (4348) · Charter | KG–12 | 2,276 | 17:1 | |
| Arizona Charter Academy Success School (79453) · Charter | KG–12 | 1,049 | 18.5:1 | |
| Dysart District Preschool Dysart Unified District (4243) · Special Education School | PK–PK | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White47%
- Hispanic35.9%
- Black6.6%
- Asian1.9%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.7%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.4%
- Multiracial7.4%
Enrollment-weighted across 33 Surprise schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (28,717 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Surprise
How many public schools are in Surprise, AZ?
The current NCES directory lists 36 open public schools with a location address in Surprise: 19 elementary, 2 middle, 12 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 28,717 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Surprise?
Schools with an address in Surprise belong to 14 education agencies, led by Dysart Unified District (4243) (17 schools), West-MEC - Western Maricopa Education Center (80923) (5 schools), Paragon Management Inc. (5180) (3 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Surprise?
Valley Vista High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Surprise, with 2,334 students in 2024–25 (grades 07–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Surprise?
Yes. 13 of the 36 public schools in Surprise are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including American Leadership Academy West Foothills K-12, Arizona Charter Academy, Calibre Academy Surprise. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Surprise schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Surprise public schools is 18.5:1, higher than the Arizona school median of 16.7:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Surprise guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Arizona cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Arizona cities