Sunset Park Elementary

Summary:

Sunset Park Elementary is a public elementary school in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the New Hanover County Schools district, which is ranked 70 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Sunset Park Elementary faces significant challenges in terms of academic performance, particularly for its minority and economically disadvantaged student populations. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of North Carolina elementary schools, with only 18.3% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in reading, compared to 48.7% statewide and 53.3% in the New Hanover County district. The school's performance is especially low for Hispanic and African American students, who rank in the bottom 40-50% of their respective subgroups in the state. However, the school's performance for its White student subgroup was relatively strong, ranking in the top 20% of North Carolina elementary schools in the 2017-2018 school year.

Sunset Park Elementary's high percentage of students (over 99%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch indicates a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. The nearby schools, such as A.H. Snipes Academy of Arts/Design, The International School at Gregory, and Edwin A. Alderman Elementary, generally perform better than Sunset Park Elementary on academic measures, but these schools also serve student populations with higher socioeconomic status. Addressing the root causes of Sunset Park Elementary's underperformance, such as teacher quality, curriculum, and family engagement, may be necessary to drive meaningful improvements and help close the achievement gap.


Detail:

Public K-5

 613 Alabama Ave
       Wilmington, NC  28401-6899


(910) 815-6948

District: New Hanover County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1324th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,494 Help


Students who attend Sunset Park Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Williston Middle
High:    New Hanover High

Student/teacher ratio:  11.3 Help
Number of students:  407

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
59.0%
African American:
25.6%
White:
11.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sunset Park Elementary ranks worse than 88% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 20th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the New Hanover County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.08. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (59%), African American (25.6%), White (11.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sunset Park Elementary is 11.3, which is the 5th best among 24 elementary schools in the New Hanover County Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sunset Park Elementary employs 36 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sunset Park Elementary is $14,494, which is the 7th highest among 24 elementary schools in the New Hanover County Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sunset Park Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunset Park Elementary 1324th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Sunset Park Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


New Hanover County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks New Hanover County Schools 70th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Sunset Park Elementary?

Rank History for Sunset Park Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 32.82 967th 1276 24.2%
2007 31.56 1004th 1293 22.4%
2008 17.32 1162nd 1324 12.2%
2009 6.22 1303rd 1354 3.8%
2010 22.04 1150th 1363 15.6%
2011 11.33 1295th 1381 6.2%
2012 43.31 882nd 1388 36.5%
2013 38.94 870th 1403 38.0%
2014 39.25 860th 1390 38.1%
2015 36.90 976th 1440 32.2%
2016 43.08 874th 1425 38.7%
2017 26.24 1134th 1429 20.6%
2018 37.79 959th 1434 33.1%
2019 33.68 1038th 1473 29.5%
2021 17.15 1264th 1489 15.1%
2022 30.89 1071st 1514 29.3%
2023 31.82 1059th 1502 29.5%
2024 17.08 1324th 1505 12.0%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 64.79 110th 497 77.9%
2021 39.84 210th 385 45.5%
2022 57.01 137th 485 71.8%
2023 55.36 167th 514 67.5%
2024 42.91 275th 533 48.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.31 631st 1332 52.6%
2019 52.95 625th 1361 54.1%
2021 27.12 1011th 1329 23.9%
2022 42.36 799th 1366 41.5%
2023 50.48 709th 1437 50.7%
2024 28.49 1155th 1450 20.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.12 990th 1405 29.5%
2019 26.95 1130th 1424 20.6%
2021 18.47 1223rd 1440 15.1%
2022 19.69 1262nd 1458 13.4%
2023 24.33 1170th 1459 19.8%
2024 10.27 1394th 1455 4.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.84 149th 897 83.4%
2019 60.20 244th 878 72.2%
2021 24.51 544th 646 15.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.02 902nd 1413 36.2%
2019 41.38 890th 1430 37.8%
2021 17.25 1229th 1444 14.9%
2022 42.78 850th 1464 41.9%
2023 43.12 868th 1461 40.6%
2024 24.67 1172nd 1464 19.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.60 454th 927 51.0%
2019 57.46 341st 949 64.1%
2021 21.70 791st 896 11.7%
2022 48.88 416th 927 55.1%
2023 47.87 464th 933 50.3%
2024 31.62 691st 924 25.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.72 267th 851 68.6%
2019 47.53 451st 865 47.9%
2021 31.17 624th 843 26.0%
2022 38.76 569th 893 36.3%
2023 38.44 589th 915 35.6%
2024 26.25 776th 951 18.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sunset Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.28 189th 1178 84.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, 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 Park Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

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100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, March 15, 2012

Open Quote Lots of violence. Poor faculty and staff. Teachers obviously want to be at the school less than the students. No control over students, leading to classes being separated at recess. Children are forced to play in specific groups during outside play time, limiting them socially. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Sunset Park Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 297 198 1 2 5 n/a n/a 0 503
1989 264 168 0 1 6 n/a n/a 0 439
1990 246 171 0 4 6 n/a n/a 0 427
1991 236 165 0 4 5 n/a n/a 0 410
1992 233 163 0 3 5 n/a n/a 0 404
1993 218 153 0 5 4 n/a n/a 16 396
1994 186 185 1 6 2 n/a n/a 51 431
1995 192 290 0 8 4 n/a n/a 0 494
1996 192 290 0 8 4 n/a n/a 0 494
1997 149 309 0 15 2 n/a n/a 0 475
1998 120 264 1 15 3 n/a n/a 3 406
1999 101 269 2 12 2 n/a n/a 0 386
2000 122 198 2 11 1 n/a n/a 0 334
2001 136 181 2 5 1 n/a n/a 0 325
2002 173 175 1 37 2 n/a n/a 0 388
2003 173 175 1 37 2 n/a n/a 0 388
2004 158 176 2 40 2 n/a n/a 0 378
2005 167 202 2 71 0 n/a n/a 0 442
2006 146 220 7 90 0 n/a n/a 0 463
2007 125 156 2 87 1 n/a n/a 29 400
2008 78 250 2 67 1 n/a n/a 29 427
2009 73 251 0 56 0 n/a n/a 0 380
2010 64 193 0 49 0 n/a n/a 0 306
2011 75 178 1 60 1 0 9 0 324
2012 95 182 3 63 0 0 11 0 354
2013 103 244 2 77 0 0 9 0 435
2014 94 261 4 78 1 0 20 0 458
2015 85 247 1 87 1 0 24 0 445
2016 82 212 1 86 1 0 21 0 403
2017 73 197 2 84 2 0 20 0 378
2018 78 213 0 86 2 0 10 0 389
2019 72 176 3 82 2 0 11 0 346
2020 64 166 0 87 3 0 20 0 340
2021 69 101 0 197 2 0 17 0 386
2022 66 104 0 202 3 0 13 0 388
2023 52 113 0 226 3 0 15 0 409
2024 45 104 0 240 0 0 18 0 407

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 Park Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 503 25.0 20.1 49.9
1989 439 24.0 18.2 68.6
1990 427 25.0 17.0 65.6
1991 410 25.0 16.4 68.3
1992 404 25.0 16.1 52.2
1993 396 30.0 13.2 70.8
1994 431 36.0 12.0 74.5
1995 494 37.0 13.4 65.2
1996 494 37.0 13.4 65.2
1997 475 33.0 14.4 73.5
1998 406 35.0 11.6 92.6
1999 386 35.0 11.0 83.7
2000 334 38.0 8.8 90.7
2001 325 38.0 8.6 84.6
2002 388 26.0 14.9 75.3
2003 388 26.0 14.9 75.3
2004 378 26.0 14.5 77.5
2005 442 26.0 17.0 84.4
2006 463 26.0 17.8 73.7
2007 400 n/a n/a 87.1
2008 427 32.7 13.1 96
2009 380 32.3 11.8 88.9
2010 306 24.3 12.5 86.9
2011 324 30.0 10.7 90.1
2012 354 31.2 11.3 85.9
2013 435 34.2 12.7 86.4
2014 458 33.7 13.5 90.4
2015 445 34.0 13.0 99.3
2016 403 33.0 12.2 98.5
2017 378 31.0 12.1 99.2
2018 389 33.5 11.6 99.2
2019 346 30.6 11.2 99.1
2020 340 29.8 11.3 99.1
2021 386 33.3 11.5 99.2
2022 388 34.0 11.4 99.2
2023 409 34.2 11.9 99.3
2024 407 36.0 11.3 99.3

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 Park Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 503 25.0 20.1 49.9
1989 439 24.0 18.2 68.6
1990 427 25.0 17.0 65.6
1991 410 25.0 16.4 68.3
1992 404 25.0 16.1 52.2
1993 396 30.0 13.2 70.8
1994 431 36.0 12.0 74.5
1995 494 37.0 13.4 65.2
1996 494 37.0 13.4 65.2
1997 475 33.0 14.4 73.5
1998 406 35.0 11.6 92.6
1999 386 35.0 11.0 83.7
2000 334 38.0 8.8 90.7
2001 325 38.0 8.6 84.6
2002 388 26.0 14.9 75.3
2003 388 26.0 14.9 75.3
2004 378 26.0 14.5 77.5
2005 442 26.0 17.0 84.4
2006 463 26.0 17.8 73.7
2007 400 n/a n/a 87.1
2008 427 32.7 13.1 96
2009 380 32.3 11.8 88.9
2010 306 24.3 12.5 86.9
2011 324 30.0 10.7 90.1
2012 354 31.2 11.3 85.9
2013 435 34.2 12.7 86.4
2014 458 33.7 13.5 90.4
2015 445 34.0 13.0 99.3
2016 403 33.0 12.2 98.5
2017 378 31.0 12.1 99.2
2018 389 33.5 11.6 99.2
2019 346 30.6 11.2 99.1
2020 340 29.8 11.3 99.1
2021 386 33.3 11.5 99.2
2022 388 34.0 11.4 99.2
2023 409 34.2 11.9 99.3
2024 407 36.0 11.3 99.3

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 Park Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,078 (14.3%) $12,416 (85.7%) $14,494

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sunset Park 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 1038th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 1059th of 1502 Elementary schools
 0%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sunset Park Elementary)53.166.7
 13.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (New Hanover County Schools)69.468.1
 1.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Sunset Park Elementary)30.631.7
 1.1%
   3rd Grade Reading (New Hanover County Schools)61.653.7
 7.9%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sunset Park Elementary)4036.2
 3.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (New Hanover County Schools)63.365.2
 1.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Sunset Park Elementary)47.731
 16.7%
   4th Grade Reading (New Hanover County Schools)63.464.2
 0.8%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sunset Park Elementary)55.643.3
 12.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (New Hanover County Schools)67.666.3
 1.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Sunset Park Elementary)46.328.3
 18%
   5th Grade Reading (New Hanover County Schools)64.158
 6.1%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Sunset Park Elementary)81.570
 11.5%
   5th Grade Science (New Hanover County Schools)8074.9
 5.1%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students346409
 18.2%
African American176113
 35.8%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian30
 100%
Hispanic82226
 175.6%
Pacific Islander00
White7252
 27.8%
Two or More Races1115
 36.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.1%99.3%
 0.1%


Schools Near Sunset Park Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Sunset Park Elementary

Students at Sunset Park Elementary are 59% Hispanic, 26% African American, 11% White, 4% Two or more races.

In the 2023-24 school year, 407 students attended Sunset Park Elementary.

Students who attend Sunset Park Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Williston Middle
High : New Hanover High

Sunset Park Elementary ranks in the bottom 12.0% of North Carolina elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

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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