Sunset Elementary is a public elementary school located in Airway Heights, Washington, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 588. The school is part of the Cheney School District, which is ranked 113 out of 247 districts in Washington and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Sunset Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Washington elementary schools for the past 8 years, with proficiency rates on state assessments (SBAC and WCAS) that are significantly below the Cheney School District and Washington state averages across all grades and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 19.79% of Sunset Elementary students were proficient or better in ELA and Math, compared to 45.24% and 34.97% for the Cheney School District, and 52.63% and 41.68% for the state. The school's diverse student population, with a higher percentage of minority students (45.41% non-White) and a larger proportion of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (74.32% free/reduced lunch recipients), may contribute to these academic challenges.
Despite the relatively high per-student spending ($16,456 in 2021-2022) and low student-teacher ratio of 14:1, Sunset Elementary has not been able to translate these resources into improved academic outcomes. In comparison, the nearby Windsor Elementary and Phil Snowdon Elementary, which are also part of the Cheney School District, demonstrate significantly higher academic performance, with proficiency rates that are 20-40 percentage points higher than Sunset Elementary across various subjects and grade levels. Schools outside the Cheney School District, such as Hallett Elementary and Michael Anderson Elementary, also outperform Sunset Elementary, further highlighting the academic challenges faced by the school.
In the 2022-23 school year, 588 students attended Sunset Elementary.
Students who attend Sunset Elementary usually go on to attend:Middle : Cheney Middle SchoolHigh : Cheney High School
Students at Sunset Elementary are 55% White, 19% Hispanic, 10% Pacific Islander, 8% Two or more races, 3% American Indian, 3% Asian, 3% African American.
Sunset Elementary ranks in the bottom 4.4% of Washington elementary schools.
Cheney School District