Is Sunshine Gardens Elementary a good school?

Sunshine Gardens Elementary ranks 3425 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sunshine Gardens Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 334 students attended Sunshine Gardens Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sunshine Gardens Elementary?

Students at Sunshine Gardens Elementary are 59% Hispanic, 25% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 6% White, 2% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Sunshine Gardens Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sunshine Gardens Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Parkway Heights Middle

Sunshine Gardens Elementary

Summary:

Sunshine Gardens Elementary is a public elementary school in South San Francisco, California, serving 334 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the South San Francisco Unified School District, which is ranked 650 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Sunshine Gardens Elementary consistently performs below the district and state averages in academic assessments, with proficiency rates ranging from 21% to 40% in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics, compared to 35% to 55% for the district and state. The school's performance in the California Science Test (CAST) is also below the district and state averages, with proficiency rates around 20%. Student group performance varies, with female students generally outperforming male students, and Hispanic students and English Language Learners struggling academically. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.5% to 27.9% in recent years.

Compared to nearby schools within the South San Francisco Unified School District, such as Junipero Serra Elementary, Skyline Elementary, and Buri Buri Elementary, Sunshine Gardens Elementary's academic performance is generally lower, with these nearby schools having higher proficiency rates and lower chronic absenteeism. The high proportion of students from low-income families and the relatively high percentage of English Language Learners at Sunshine Gardens Elementary may be contributing to the school's academic challenges.

Detail:

Public K-5

1200 Miller Ave.
South San Francisco, CA 94080-1221

(650) 877-8784

District: South San Francisco Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3425^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,340

Students who attend Sunshine Gardens Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Parkway Heights Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 20.8

Number of students: 334

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

59.3%

Asian:

24.9%

Two or more races:

6.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Sunshine Gardens Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sunshine Gardens Elementary ranks worse than 58.4% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 6^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the South San Francisco Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.09. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 (59.3%), Asian (24.9%), two or more races (6.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sunshine Gardens Elementary is 20.8, which is the 4^th best among 9 elementary schools in the South San Francisco Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Sunshine Gardens Elementary employs 16 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sunshine Gardens Elementary is $5,340. 5 elementary schools in the South San Francisco Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sunshine Gardens Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunshine Gardens Elementary 3425^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Sunshine Gardens Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

South San Francisco Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks South San Francisco Unified 650^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sunshine Gardens Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sunshine Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	42.97	2502^nd	4809	48.0%
2005	37.08	2886^th	4822	40.1%
2006	47.40	2297^th	4818	52.3%
2007	44.49	2648^th	5113	48.2%
2008	57.06	1996^th	5113	61.0%
2009	44.82	2762^nd	5193	46.8%
2010	56.63	2182^nd	5314	58.9%
2011	44.47	2926^th	5377	45.6%
2012	57.54	2178^th	5390	59.6%
2013	51.16	2615^th	5530	52.7%
2015	48.15	2550^th	5611	54.6%
2016	46.39	2688^th	5614	52.1%
2017	34.64	3465^th	5692	39.1%
2018	34.80	3482^nd	5662	38.5%
2019	40.24	3176^th	5789	45.1%
2021	44.10	724^th	1417	48.9%
2022	35.41	3425^th	5883	41.8%
2023	28.23	4048^th	5874	31.1%
2024	36.09	3425^th	5862	41.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sunshine Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	54.59	1053^rd	3246	67.6%
2019	53.55	1066^th	3275	67.5%
2021	23.81	578^th	602	4.0%
2022	17.34	3281^st	3311	0.9%
2023	26.27	2799^th	3250	13.9%
2024	33.89	2257^th	3160	28.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sunshine Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.03	1853^rd	2420	23.4%
2024	33.31	1643^rd	2634	37.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sunshine Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	22.35	4307^th	5084	15.3%
2019	45.69	2697^th	5173	47.9%
2021	47.21	519^th	1110	53.2%
2022	44.13	2674^th	5264	49.2%
2023	17.07	4901^st	5374	8.8%
2024	30.78	3873^rd	5511	29.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sunshine Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.66	2910^th	5413	46.2%
2019	49.71	2512^th	5492	54.3%
2021	46.88	605^th	1267	52.2%
2022	50.38	2395^th	5635	57.5%
2023	34.43	3382^nd	5617	39.8%
2024	42.72	2873^rd	5605	48.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sunshine Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.57	3730^th	5431	31.3%
2019	32.53	3582^nd	5510	35.0%
2021	40.48	696^th	1272	45.3%
2022	21.41	4574^th	5663	19.2%
2023	22.04	4536^th	5650	19.7%
2024	29.04	3909^th	5636	30.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sunshine Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.64	3576^th	4830	26.0%
2019	35.48	3280^th	4963	33.9%
2022	34.28	3346^th	5084	34.2%
2023	27.40	3921^st	5098	23.1%
2024	32.66	3526^th	5102	30.9%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, February 8, 2019

This school is rundown, has oversize classrooms, not much is done for kids who are ahead and get excellent grades. They are left to fend for themselves while those that need help get the attention. Everyone needs to be included in all aspects. Lack of Spirit Day for kids to have Fun. They used to have a Fun Run every month but since this new Principal started, she took everything away. Most of the teachers are involved with the students expect about 2 or 3. Sunshine Gardens needs improvements as soon as possible. The kids suffer if things are not fixed. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Sunshine Gardens Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	206	19	60	115	2	n/a	n/a	0	402
1989	181	15	74	144	3	n/a	n/a	0	417
1990	196	21	71	146	4	n/a	n/a	0	438
1991	170	33	65	171	3	n/a	n/a	0	442
1992	151	30	64	198	10	n/a	n/a	0	453
1993	148	15	60	169	6	n/a	n/a	0	398
1994	141	19	61	178	5	n/a	n/a	0	404
1995	136	21	77	163	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
1996	136	21	77	163	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
1997	153	18	68	142	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
1998	133	21	66	156	2	n/a	n/a	0	378
1999	117	22	70	194	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
2000	97	26	78	201	2	n/a	n/a	0	404
2001	90	20	84	195	1	n/a	n/a	0	390
2002	81	12	78	187	1	n/a	n/a	0	359
2003	81	12	78	187	1	n/a	n/a	0	359
2004	60	24	60	182	1	n/a	n/a	0	327
2005	47	20	78	187	0	n/a	n/a	1	333
2006	48	24	109	227	1	n/a	n/a	1	410
2007	52	15	105	235	0	n/a	n/a	4	411
2008	60	10	109	233	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	412
2009	63	11	95	224	0	15	1	0	409
2010	41	7	32	247	0	4	78	0	409
2011	46	7	52	227	3	4	65	0	404
2012	35	6	67	223	1	6	56	0	394
2013	33	9	78	237	1	9	43	0	410
2014	26	4	77	239	0	11	37	0	394
2015	27	4	96	257	0	9	12	0	405
2016	30	4	95	243	0	13	17	0	402
2017	27	4	111	237	1	12	18	0	410
2018	28	3	104	215	1	15	19	0	385
2019	23	4	100	200	1	10	22	0	360
2020	27	5	96	201	1	6	25	0	361
2021	20	3	95	184	1	9	16	0	328
2022	23	6	78	193	1	6	18	0	325
2023	19	7	83	198	2	4	21	0	334

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 Sunshine Gardens Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	402	16.6	24.2	n/a
1989	417	16.1	25.9	n/a
1990	438	16.6	26.3	n/a
1991	442	16.6	26.6	n/a
1992	453	16.9	26.8	32
1993	398	15.1	26.4	29.4
1994	404	14.6	27.7	31.9
1995	397	16.7	23.8	42.6
1996	397	16.7	23.8	42.6
1997	381	18.6	20.5	40.9
1998	378	19.1	19.8	46
1999	403	23.2	17.4	30
2000	404	21.2	19.1	43.3
2001	390	20.1	19.4	44.1
2002	359	17.7	20.3	45.1
2003	359	17.7	20.3	45.1
2004	327	16.2	20.2	47.1
2005	333	16.9	19.7	43.4
2006	410	19.2	21.4	47.9
2007	411	18.9	21.7	n/a
2008	412	20.7	19.9	58.3
2009	409	19.6	19.9	57.2
2010	409	20.3	20.1	54.3
2011	404	n/a	n/a	59.2
2012	394	15.6	25.2	n/a
2013	410	16.6	24.6	58
2014	394	16.6	23.7	45.9
2015	405	18.0	22.5	51.1
2016	402	18.0	22.3	52
2017	410	16.4	25.0	48.3
2018	385	17.0	22.6	55.1
2019	360	16.0	22.5	55.8
2020	361	n/a	n/a	53.5
2021	328	17.0	19.2	51.2
2022	325	16.0	20.3	47.1
2023	334	16.0	20.8	49.7

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 Sunshine Gardens Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	402	16.6	24.2	n/a
1989	417	16.1	25.9	n/a
1990	438	16.6	26.3	n/a
1991	442	16.6	26.6	n/a
1992	453	16.9	26.8	32
1993	398	15.1	26.4	29.4
1994	404	14.6	27.7	31.9
1995	397	16.7	23.8	42.6
1996	397	16.7	23.8	42.6
1997	381	18.6	20.5	40.9
1998	378	19.1	19.8	46
1999	403	23.2	17.4	30
2000	404	21.2	19.1	43.3
2001	390	20.1	19.4	44.1
2002	359	17.7	20.3	45.1
2003	359	17.7	20.3	45.1
2004	327	16.2	20.2	47.1
2005	333	16.9	19.7	43.4
2006	410	19.2	21.4	47.9
2007	411	18.9	21.7	n/a
2008	412	20.7	19.9	58.3
2009	409	19.6	19.9	57.2
2010	409	20.3	20.1	54.3
2011	404	n/a	n/a	59.2
2012	394	15.6	25.2	n/a
2013	410	16.6	24.6	58
2014	394	16.6	23.7	45.9
2015	405	18.0	22.5	51.1
2016	402	18.0	22.3	52
2017	410	16.4	25.0	48.3
2018	385	17.0	22.6	55.1
2019	360	16.0	22.5	55.8
2020	361	n/a	n/a	53.5
2021	328	17.0	19.2	51.2
2022	325	16.0	20.3	47.1
2023	334	16.0	20.8	49.7

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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