Sunset Elementary

Summary:

Sunset Elementary is a public elementary school located in Newton, Kansas, serving grades K-4 with a total enrollment of 212 students. Unfortunately, Sunset Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kansas elementary schools over the past several years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

Sunset Elementary's academic performance is a significant concern, as the school consistently underperforms the Newton district and state averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grades. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 22.34% of Sunset Elementary students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 23.09% in the Newton district and 33.55% statewide. The school's performance is particularly concerning in 3rd and 4th grade ELA and Mathematics, where Sunset Elementary's proficiency rates are significantly lower than the Newton district and state averages.

Interestingly, the nearby schools in the Newton district, such as South Breeze Elementary and Slate Creek Elementary, generally outperform Sunset Elementary in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency, despite being part of the same low-performing district. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, South Breeze Elementary had an ELA proficiency rate of 35.17%, and Slate Creek Elementary had a rate of 39.32%, both significantly higher than Sunset Elementary's 22.34%. This suggests that there may be opportunities for Sunset Elementary to learn from the practices and strategies of these higher-performing nearby schools.

Detail:

Public K-4

619 Boyd
Newton, KS 67114

(316) 284-6570

District: Newton

SchoolDigger Rank:
559^th of 653 Kansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,286

Students who attend Sunset Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Chisholm Middle School
	Santa Fe 5/6 Center
High:	Newton Senior High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.8

Number of students: 208

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.7%

Hispanic:

21.2%

Two or more races:

6.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Sunset Elementary ranks worse than 85.6% of elementary schools in Kansas. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Newton School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.64. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Sunset Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Newton School District. Racial makeup is: White (69.7%), Hispanic (21.2%), two or more races (6.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sunset Elementary is 11.8, which is the 2^nd best among 4 elementary schools in the Newton School District. (See more...)

Compare Sunset Elementary employs 17.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sunset Elementary is $9,286. 2 elementary schools in the Newton School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sunset Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunset Elementary 559^th of 653 Kansas public elementary schools. (See Sunset Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Newton:

SchoolDigger ranks Newton 246^th of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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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	KS State Percentile
2012	72.76	134^th	660	79.7%
2013	48.75	440^th	668	34.1%
2015	49.66	360^th	678	46.9%
2016	65.28	201^st	656	69.4%
2017	49.34	333^rd	659	49.5%
2018	39.45	418^th	656	36.3%
2019	33.13	467^th	667	30.0%
2021	29.93	499^th	670	25.5%
2022	28.84	504^th	668	24.6%
2023	19.11	559^th	660	15.3%
2024	18.64	559^th	653	14.4%

See the entire list of Kansas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2019	21.09	173^rd	193	10.4%
2022	38.50	189^th	305	38.0%
2023	25.55	237^th	296	19.9%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	45.31	301^st	512	41.2%
2019	38.42	338^th	509	33.6%
2021	31.00	391^st	494	20.9%
2022	37.55	356^th	512	30.5%
2023	22.17	468^th	541	13.5%
2024	14.41	516^th	546	5.5%

See the entire list of Best Kansas 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	KS State Percentile
2018	33.80	411^th	574	28.4%
2019	37.88	385^th	591	34.9%
2021	33.97	404^th	591	31.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	21.09	173^rd	193	10.4%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	47.76	304^th	575	47.1%
2019	32.87	421^st	586	28.2%
2021	30.08	452^nd	605	25.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	59.78	59^th	207	71.5%
2019	62.73	62^nd	235	73.6%
2021	46.97	114^th	229	50.2%
2022	47.86	128^th	254	49.6%
2023	43.61	132^nd	245	46.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Sunset Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	39.69	382^nd	574	33.4%
2019	33.61	432^nd	592	27.0%
2021	27.11	472^nd	587	19.6%
2022	23.55	504^th	596	15.4%
2023	13.05	551^st	584	5.7%
2024	13.00	542^nd	579	6.4%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kansas State 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: Kansas State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Sunset Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2011	223	5	4	92	4	13	341
2012	229	5	3	102	2	11	352
2014	182	2	0	86	2	23	295
2015	186	1	0	88	2	18	295
2016	159	3	2	84	1	15	264
2017	153	5	2	77	1	13	251
2018	163	3	2	87	1	17	273
2019	179	3	4	83	0	17	286
2020	178	5	3	70	0	20	276
2021	145	7	2	59	0	10	223
2022	139	4	1	58	0	10	212
2023	146	3	2	49	0	12	212
2024	145	4	2	44	0	13	208

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
2011	341	23.7	14.3	63.3
2012	352	29.1	12.0	67.6
2014	295	21.8	13.5	66.1
2015	295	23.0	12.8	71.5
2016	264	20.0	13.2	72.3
2017	251	20.7	12.1	70.5
2018	273	21.3	12.8	69.6
2019	286	22.3	12.8	68.5
2020	276	21.3	12.9	63
2021	223	20.3	10.9	62.3
2022	212	18.3	11.5	48.6
2023	212	17.9	11.7	71.7
2024	208	17.5	11.8	73.1

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
2011	341	23.7	14.3	63.3
2012	352	29.1	12.0	67.6
2014	295	21.8	13.5	66.1
2015	295	23.0	12.8	71.5
2016	264	20.0	13.2	72.3
2017	251	20.7	12.1	70.5
2018	273	21.3	12.8	69.6
2019	286	22.3	12.8	68.5
2020	276	21.3	12.9	63
2021	223	20.3	10.9	62.3
2022	212	18.3	11.5	48.6
2023	212	17.9	11.7	71.7
2024	208	17.5	11.8	73.1

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sunset Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$607 (6.5%)	$8,678 (93.5%)	$9,286

Data source: Kansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sunset Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 467^th of 667 Elementary schools	Ranks 559^th of 660 Elementary schools	14.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sunset Elementary)	28.6	21.4	7.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Newton)	36.4	33.2	3.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	40.6	38.1	2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sunset Elementary)	38.6	30.2	8.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Newton)	44.4	37.5	6.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	50.3	50.4	0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sunset Elementary)	44.9	26.5	18.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Newton)	38.9	29.9	9.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	47.6	42.8	4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sunset Elementary)	30.6	22.9	7.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Newton)	25	19.5	5.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	36.1	37.6	1.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	286	212	25.9%
African American	3	3
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	2	50%
Hispanic	83	49	41%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	179	146	18.4%
Two or More Races	17	12	29.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	68.5%	71.7%	3.2%

Schools Near Sunset Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				KAP English Language Arts (2024)					KAP Mathematics (2024)					KAP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	KAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	KAP Mathematics 4th Grade	KAP Mathematics 5th Grade	KAP Mathematics 6th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 5th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sunset Elementary	Public	K-4	619 Boyd	Newton	67114	Harvey County	Newton	No	No	No	Yes	(316) 284-6570	208	18	11.8	73.1%	145 (69.7%)	4 (1.9%)	44 (21.2%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.3%)	18.6	559^th of 653 public elementary schools	14.4%		19.1	559^th of 660 public elementary schools	15.3%		18.4	25.5			22.3	34.2	21.3			27.1			$9,286	$607	$8,678
Northridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1900 Windsor Dr.	Newton	67114	Harvey County	Newton	No	No	No	Yes	(316) 284-6540	359	19	19.2	73.3%	211 (58.8%)	10 (2.8%)	101 (28.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (10.0%)	19.4	553^rd of 653 public elementary schools	15.3%		25.6	519^th of 660 public elementary schools	21.4%	34	20.8	37.5			29.2	18.8	16.7			17.7			$20,003	$4,706	$15,297
South Breeze Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1020 Old Main	Newton	67114	Harvey County	Newton	No	No	No	Yes	(316) 284-6560	323	22	14.9	58.8%	181 (56.0%)	12 (3.7%)	87 (26.9%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	36 (11.1%)	28.8	489^th of 653 public elementary schools	25.1%		42.5	385^th of 660 public elementary schools	41.7%	104	24.4	42.9			35.2	21.7	28.1			25.5			$8,870	$636	$8,233
Slate Creek Elementary	Public	K-4	901 E. 4th	Newton	67114	Harvey County	Newton	No	No	No	Yes	(316) 284-6550	239	21	11.3	65.7%	137 (57.3%)	1 (0.4%)	77 (32.2%)	5 (2.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (7.1%)	41.2	408^th of 653 public elementary schools	37.5%		28.3	498^th of 660 public elementary schools	24.5%	90	38.5	40.0			39.3	37.5	32.0			34.4			$9,911	$1,069	$8,842
Hesston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	300 E Amos	Hesston	67062	Harvey County	Hesston	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 327-7102	304	18	16.4	30.3%	254 (83.6%)	7 (2.3%)	29 (9.5%)	4 (1.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	87.3	62^nd of 653 public elementary schools	90.5%		78.4	112^th of 660 public elementary schools	83.0%	50	51.3	62.5			56.4	75.0	67.2			71.4			$8,378	$486	$7,892
R L Wright Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	400 W 4th St	Sedgwick	67135	Harvey County	Sedgwick Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(316) 772-5783	273	19	14.3	43.2%	228 (83.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.5%)	69.5	169^th of 653 public elementary schools	74.1%		76.8	119^th of 660 public elementary schools	82.0%	50	50.0	44.2	55.5	43.2	47.6	36.1	37.2	55.5	54.0	44.7	63.0	63.0	$8,250	$697	$7,553
Moundridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	207 S. Drucilla	Moundridge	67107	McPherson County	Moundridge	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 345-5500	192	13	15.3	48.4%	172 (89.6%)	2 (1.0%)	10 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.6%)								(n/a)	43.3				43.3	53.3				53.3			$12,314	$873	$11,441
Goessel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 E Main	Goessel	67053	Marion County	Goessel	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 367-8118	133	9	14.3	45.1%	124 (93.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.5%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	39.5	418^th of 653 public elementary schools	36.0%		59.5	235^th of 660 public elementary schools	64.4%	183	20.0	61.9	30.4		39.0	40.0	61.9	8.7		35.6	21.7	21.7	$11,672	$1,035	$10,637
Bentley Primary School	Public	PK, KG-3	221 N Phelps	Bentley	67016	Sedgwick County	Halstead	No	No	No	Yes	(316) 835-3000	205	18	11.6	55.6%	154 (75.1%)	2 (1.0%)	36 (17.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.9%)								(n/a)	37.5				37.5	51.8				51.8			$10,048	$654	$9,395
Wheatland Elementary	Public	K-3	800 Meadow	Valley Center	67147	Sedgwick County	Valley Center Pub School	No	No	No	Yes	(316) 755-7040	335	27	12.5	44.2%	269 (80.3%)	5 (1.5%)	43 (12.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.5%)								(n/a)	40.7				40.7	62.8				62.8			$8,780	$550	$8,230

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunset Elementary

How many students attend Sunset Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 208 students attended Sunset Elementary.

What district is Sunset Elementary in?

Newton

What is the racial makeup of Sunset Elementary?

Students at Sunset Elementary are 70% White, 21% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Is Sunset Elementary a good school?

Sunset Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.4% of Kansas elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Sunset Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sunset Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Chisholm Middle School
Middle : Santa Fe 5/6 Center
High : Newton Senior High

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kansas State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.