Is Sunset Elementary a good school?

Sunset Elementary ranks 3486 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sunset Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 118 students attended Sunset Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sunset Elementary?

Students at Sunset Elementary are 89% Hispanic, 9% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Sunset Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sunset Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Sparks Middle High : La Puente High

Sunset Elementary

Summary:

Sunset Elementary is a public elementary school in La Puente, California, serving 142 students in grades K-6 and part of the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District. However, the school faces significant challenges, with high chronic absenteeism, low test scores, and a high percentage of students from low-income families.

Sunset Elementary's chronic absenteeism rate has risen dramatically from 5.0% in 2017-2018 to 29.7% in 2021-2022, far exceeding the district average of 11.3%. The school's test scores are consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 32.79% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 48.59% for the district and 47.04% for the state. Additionally, Sunset Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 68.52% to 85.29% over the past few years, significantly higher than the district average.

When compared to nearby schools in the same district, such as California Elementary and Nelson Elementary, Sunset Elementary performs significantly worse across various metrics, including test scores, chronic absenteeism, and free/reduced lunch rates. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, with its ranking for female students and low socioeconomic status students in the bottom 20-30% of California elementary schools. Sunset Elementary's declining performance over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 2,149 out of 5,530 California elementary schools in 2012-2013 to 3,486 out of 5,862 in 2023-2024, is a cause for concern and highlights the need for the school and district to address these issues.

Detail:

Public K-6

800 North Tonopah Ave.
La Puente, CA 91744-2460

(626) 933-3200

District: Hacienda la Puente Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3486^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend Sunset Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sparks Middle
High:	La Puente High

Student/teacher ratio: 19.6

Number of students: 118

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

89.0%

Asian:

9.3%

White:

0.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Sunset Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sunset Elementary ranks worse than 59.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 13^th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.31. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (89%), Asian (9.3%), two or more races (0.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sunset Elementary is 19.6, which is the 3^rd best among 22 elementary schools in the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Sunset Elementary employs 6 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sunset Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunset Elementary 3486^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Sunset Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Hacienda la Puente Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Hacienda la Puente Unified 782^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Sunset Elementary.

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Rank History for Sunset Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	32.25	3120^th	4809	35.1%
2005	23.36	3740^th	4822	22.4%
2006	24.80	3664^th	4818	24.0%
2007	32.71	3383^rd	5113	33.8%
2008	29.07	3667^th	5113	28.3%
2009	20.52	4379^th	5193	15.7%
2010	41.16	3101^st	5314	41.6%
2011	37.02	3463^rd	5377	35.6%
2012	52.36	2478^th	5390	54.0%
2013	59.35	2149^th	5530	61.1%
2015	53.27	2276^th	5611	59.4%
2016	40.81	3025^th	5614	46.1%
2017	55.92	2226^th	5692	60.9%
2018	52.68	2407^th	5662	57.5%
2019	46.05	2817^th	5789	51.3%
2022	37.46	3261^st	5883	44.6%
2023	30.56	3832^nd	5874	34.8%
2024	35.31	3486^th	5862	40.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	63.75	1531^st	5084	69.9%
2019	64.08	1505^th	5173	70.9%
2022	43.66	2713^th	5264	48.5%
2023	42.12	2899^th	5374	46.1%
2024	56.85	1973^rd	5511	64.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.17	2941^st	5413	45.7%
2019	34.40	3464^th	5492	36.9%
2022	26.39	4086^th	5635	27.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.88	1813^th	5431	66.6%
2019	57.97	2037^th	5510	63.0%
2022	45.85	2666^th	5663	52.9%
2023	25.08	4251^st	5650	24.8%
2024	50.97	2407^th	5636	57.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	60.72	1588^th	4830	67.1%
2019	53.23	2080^th	4963	58.1%
2022	49.83	2216^th	5084	56.4%
2023	40.78	2851^st	5098	44.1%
2024	49.88	2269^th	5102	55.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of 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: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent on FaceBook
Saturday, August 31, 2013

The teachers are amazing. My daughter is in 1st grade and so far has had 2 amazing teachers. She loves being there. All the staff treat my daughter with respect. I would never choose another school for my daughter even if I moved. I am so thankful to have this wonderful school full of wonderful people, in my daughter's life. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Sunset Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	61	16	2	218	3	n/a	n/a	300
1989	43	13	2	227	1	n/a	n/a	286
1990	30	11	5	232	0	n/a	n/a	278
1991	25	10	16	230	3	n/a	n/a	284
1992	32	8	13	194	0	n/a	n/a	247
1993	31	10	13	237	1	n/a	n/a	292
1994	27	12	14	240	1	n/a	n/a	294
1995	22	12	17	248	3	n/a	n/a	302
1996	22	12	17	248	3	n/a	n/a	302
1997	25	15	13	294	4	n/a	n/a	351
1998	12	10	12	234	2	n/a	n/a	270
1999	10	4	15	241	2	n/a	n/a	272
2000	13	4	13	245	2	n/a	n/a	277
2001	8	4	11	253	2	n/a	n/a	278
2002	6	4	21	245	0	n/a	n/a	276
2003	6	4	21	245	0	n/a	n/a	276
2004	5	1	15	252	0	n/a	n/a	273
2005	6	2	14	247	1	n/a	n/a	270
2006	2	4	16	239	2	n/a	n/a	263
2007	6	2	14	252	2	n/a	n/a	276
2008	7	2	12	241	2	n/a	n/a	264
2009	9	2	11	238	2	0	0	262
2010	7	0	8	245	1	0	1	262
2011	8	0	9	265	1	2	1	286
2012	9	0	9	258	0	3	1	280
2013	9	1	9	248	0	2	1	270
2014	4	0	9	197	0	2	1	213
2015	3	0	10	207	0	1	1	222
2016	4	0	14	206	0	2	0	226
2017	3	0	21	203	0	2	0	229
2018	2	0	19	215	0	1	0	237
2019	3	0	18	183	0	0	0	204
2020	2	1	18	171	1	0	0	193
2021	3	1	13	152	1	0	0	170
2022	2	0	12	146	0	0	2	162
2023	2	0	8	132	0	0	0	142
2024	1	0	11	105	0	0	1	118

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 Sunset Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	300	12.0	25.0	n/a
1989	286	11.1	25.7	n/a
1990	278	11.0	25.2	n/a
1991	284	11.0	25.8	n/a
1992	247	11.2	22.0	87.9
1993	292	12.0	24.3	71.6
1994	294	12.0	24.5	83.3
1995	302	12.0	25.2	92.7
1996	302	12.0	25.2	92.7
1997	351	15.0	23.4	94.9
1998	270	14.0	19.3	94.8
1999	272	15.0	18.1	82.4
2000	277	14.0	19.8	80.1
2001	278	16.0	17.4	83.5
2002	276	17.0	16.2	98.9
2003	276	17.0	16.2	98.9
2004	273	16.0	17.1	98.9
2005	270	14.0	19.3	98.9
2006	263	15.7	16.8	0
2007	276	13.6	20.3	84.8
2008	264	15.2	17.4	81.1
2009	262	14.2	17.2	81.7
2010	262	13.8	18.9	95
2011	286	n/a	n/a	95.1
2012	280	11.2	25.0	98.9
2013	270	11.2	24.1	94.4
2014	213	8.6	24.7	93
2015	222	9.0	24.6	92.3
2016	226	9.0	25.1	92
2017	229	9.2	24.8	86.5
2018	237	9.2	25.7	86.5
2019	204	8.0	25.5	87.3
2020	193	n/a	n/a	88.1
2021	170	7.0	24.2	85.3
2022	162	6.0	27.0	68.5
2023	142	7.0	20.2	73.2
2024	118	6.0	19.6	73.7

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 Sunset Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	300	12.0	25.0	n/a
1989	286	11.1	25.7	n/a
1990	278	11.0	25.2	n/a
1991	284	11.0	25.8	n/a
1992	247	11.2	22.0	87.9
1993	292	12.0	24.3	71.6
1994	294	12.0	24.5	83.3
1995	302	12.0	25.2	92.7
1996	302	12.0	25.2	92.7
1997	351	15.0	23.4	94.9
1998	270	14.0	19.3	94.8
1999	272	15.0	18.1	82.4
2000	277	14.0	19.8	80.1
2001	278	16.0	17.4	83.5
2002	276	17.0	16.2	98.9
2003	276	17.0	16.2	98.9
2004	273	16.0	17.1	98.9
2005	270	14.0	19.3	98.9
2006	263	15.7	16.8	0
2007	276	13.6	20.3	84.8
2008	264	15.2	17.4	81.1
2009	262	14.2	17.2	81.7
2010	262	13.8	18.9	95
2011	286	n/a	n/a	95.1
2012	280	11.2	25.0	98.9
2013	270	11.2	24.1	94.4
2014	213	8.6	24.7	93
2015	222	9.0	24.6	92.3
2016	226	9.0	25.1	92
2017	229	9.2	24.8	86.5
2018	237	9.2	25.7	86.5
2019	204	8.0	25.5	87.3
2020	193	n/a	n/a	88.1
2021	170	7.0	24.2	85.3
2022	162	6.0	27.0	68.5
2023	142	7.0	20.2	73.2
2024	118	6.0	19.6	73.7

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.

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