Sunset Canyon School

Summary:

Sunset Canyon School is an elementary school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving 366 students in grades PK-6 and part of the Paradise Valley Unified District. The school has seen a gradual shift in its racial demographics, with an increase in Hispanic students and a decrease in White students over the past few years.

Sunset Canyon School's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics, has consistently lagged behind the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade proficiency rates were 31% in ELA and 39% in Math, compared to the district's 53% and 59%, respectively, and the state's 39% and 43%. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated, ranging from 357 out of 1079 schools in 2015-2016 to 496 out of 904 schools in the current school year, with a 2-star rating. Sunset Canyon School's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with its Hispanic students ranking 563 out of 1170 Arizona elementary schools and its White students ranking 569 out of 1024.

Sunset Canyon School faces several challenges, including consistently lower academic performance, fluctuating statewide rankings, and achievement gaps among student subgroups. The school's increasing percentage of economically disadvantaged students, from 22.52% in 2021-2022 to 53.83% in 2022-2023, suggests a growing population of students in need of additional support. Compared to nearby higher-performing schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District, such as Boulder Creek Elementary, Fireside Elementary, and Quail Run Elementary, Sunset Canyon School's performance indicates a need for targeted interventions and resource allocation to improve student outcomes.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 2727 E Siesta Ln
       Phoenix, AZ  85050-3138


(602) 449-5100

District: Paradise Valley Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
496th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,626 Help


Students who attend Sunset Canyon School usually attend:

Middle:    Mountain Trail Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  10.6 Help
Number of students:  366

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
48.1%
White:
33.6%
African American:
7.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  53.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Sunset Canyon School ranks worse than 54.9% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks 20th among 25 ranked elementary schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.81. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48.1%), White (33.6%), African American (7.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 53.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sunset Canyon School is 10.6, which is the 2nd best among 25 elementary schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Sunset Canyon School employs 34.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sunset Canyon School is $12,626, which is the 2nd highest among 25 elementary schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sunset Canyon School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunset Canyon School 496th of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Sunset Canyon School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Hispanic students:


Paradise Valley Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Paradise Valley Unified District 108th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sunset Canyon School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 67.08 371st 1062 65.1%
2010 55.60 477th 1090 56.2%
2011 68.27 342nd 1075 68.2%
2012 64.41 398th 1141 65.1%
2013 60.29 450th 1158 61.1%
2014 63.82 395th 1079 63.4%
2015 49.41 419th 955 56.1%
2016 64.46 357th 1079 66.9%
2017 54.79 445th 1106 59.8%
2018 42.71 573rd 1109 48.3%
2019 35.45 615th 1039 40.8%
2021 29.71 797th 1226 35.0%
2022 31.82 615th 1000 38.5%
2023 51.44 529th 1245 57.5%
2024 37.81 496th 904 45.1%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 37.37 648th 1027 36.9%
2022 28.53 393rd 444 11.5%
2023 30.11 506th 617 18.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 39.29 545th 975 44.1%
2023 34.87 238th 451 47.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.98 141st 417 66.2%
2021 42.00 596th 1201 50.4%
2023 43.39 405th 820 50.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.78 516th 820 37.1%
2023 46.67 539th 1116 51.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.71 598th 1023 41.5%
2019 34.03 536th 862 37.8%
2021 31.82 784th 1219 35.7%
2022 37.80 533rd 824 35.3%
2023 59.20 448th 1219 63.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.55 506th 1032 51.0%
2019 38.47 479th 850 43.6%
2021 28.35 822nd 1220 32.6%
2022 21.20 664th 830 20.0%
2023 44.61 600th 1216 50.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 29.48 713th 895 20.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.50 611th 911 32.9%
2019 42.47 380th 709 46.4%
2021 33.65 757th 1198 36.8%
2022 27.11 535th 716 25.3%
2023 46.52 563rd 1170 51.9%
2024 52.24 201st 472 57.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 51.50 194th 654 70.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Sunset Canyon School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.34 502nd 720 30.3%
2019 17.26 536th 595 9.9%
2021 28.15 915th 1161 21.2%
2023 44.01 569th 1024 44.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona 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.

Sunset Canyon School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
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Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

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Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, June 21, 2012

Open Quote The teachers really care about the students. My son has attended K-2 so far and has certainly learned a lot. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Sunset Canyon School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2000 402 16 7 68 3 n/a n/a 0 496
2001 444 17 13 106 3 n/a n/a 0 583
2002 439 28 20 134 7 n/a n/a 0 628
2003 439 28 20 134 7 n/a n/a 0 628
2004 438 27 15 148 6 n/a n/a 0 634
2005 413 24 20 188 5 n/a n/a 0 650
2006 414 31 18 137 2 n/a n/a 0 602
2007 396 32 17 146 5 n/a n/a 0 596
2008 371 40 18 157 7 n/a n/a 0 593
2009 377 29 15 161 6 n/a n/a 0 588
2010 371 32 20 157 7 n/a n/a 0 587
2011 328 20 13 157 6 2 19 0 545
2012 313 18 13 175 8 0 15 0 542
2013 322 20 9 172 11 0 19 0 553
2014 292 12 14 190 5 0 17 0 530
2015 262 17 12 183 6 0 12 0 492
2016 231 17 9 181 9 0 22 0 469
2017 204 21 9 184 9 0 23 0 450
2018 201 19 4 179 9 0 22 0 434
2019 194 10 2 179 8 0 19 0 412
2020 174 19 7 198 5 1 22 0 426
2021 138 28 8 173 8 1 20 0 376
2022 138 24 10 173 9 2 17 0 373
2023 123 27 13 176 5 2 20 0 366

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 Canyon School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 496 26.6 18.6 n/a
2001 583 35.0 16.7 n/a
2002 628 38.8 16.2 30.7
2003 628 38.8 16.2 30.7
2004 634 32.0 19.8 33.8
2005 650 37.0 17.6 43.8
2006 602 37.0 16.3 17.1
2007 596 36.5 16.3 36.2
2008 593 35.0 16.9 40.6
2009 588 35.0 16.8 39.1
2010 587 35.0 16.7 42.2
2011 545 31.5 17.3 41.1
2012 542 30.6 17.7 43.9
2013 553 30.7 17.9 n/a
2014 530 29.2 18.1 22.8
2015 492 27.0 18.2 52.2
2016 469 29.0 16.1 41.4
2017 450 27.0 16.6 61.6
2018 434 26.0 16.6 55.8
2019 412 25.7 16.0 55.6
2020 426 33.8 12.6 54.7
2021 376 32.8 11.4 n/a
2022 373 34.3 10.8 22.5
2023 366 34.4 10.6 53.8

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 Canyon School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 496 26.6 18.6 n/a
2001 583 35.0 16.7 n/a
2002 628 38.8 16.2 30.7
2003 628 38.8 16.2 30.7
2004 634 32.0 19.8 33.8
2005 650 37.0 17.6 43.8
2006 602 37.0 16.3 17.1
2007 596 36.5 16.3 36.2
2008 593 35.0 16.9 40.6
2009 588 35.0 16.8 39.1
2010 587 35.0 16.7 42.2
2011 545 31.5 17.3 41.1
2012 542 30.6 17.7 43.9
2013 553 30.7 17.9 n/a
2014 530 29.2 18.1 22.8
2015 492 27.0 18.2 52.2
2016 469 29.0 16.1 41.4
2017 450 27.0 16.6 61.6
2018 434 26.0 16.6 55.8
2019 412 25.7 16.0 55.6
2020 426 33.8 12.6 54.7
2021 376 32.8 11.4 n/a
2022 373 34.3 10.8 22.5
2023 366 34.4 10.6 53.8

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 Canyon School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $606 (6.2%) $53 (0.5%) $1,265 (12.8%) $7,490 (76.0%) $1,703 (17.3%) $9,193 (93.3%) $9,852
2020 $00 (0.0%) n/a n/a $9,429 (94.3%) $567 (5.7%) $9,996 (100.0%) $9,996
2021 $1,807 (16.1%) $95 (0.8%) $3,708 (33.0%) $8,789 (78.2%) $548 (4.9%) $9,338 (83.1%) $11,240
2022 $2,206 (17.5%) $346 (2.7%) $4,759 (37.7%) $9,674 (76.6%) $400 (3.2%) $10,074 (79.8%) $12,626

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sunset Canyon School

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 615th of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 529th of 1245 Elementary schools
 16.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students412366
 11.2%
African American1027
 170%
American Indian85
 37.5%
Asian213
 550%
Hispanic179176
 1.7%
Pacific Islander02
White194123
 36.6%
Two or More Races1920
 5.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients55.6%53.8%
 1.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Sunset Canyon School

In the 2022-23 school year, 366 students attended Sunset Canyon School.

Sunset Canyon School ranks 496th of 904 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Sunset Canyon School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mountain Trail Middle School

Students at Sunset Canyon School are 48% Hispanic, 34% White, 7% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian.


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





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