Sunset Heights Elementary School, Peoria AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Sunset Heights Elementary School

Sunset Heights Elementary School is a regular public school in the Peoria Unified School District, serving students from preschool through eighth grade in a single building. For a family considering it, the core question is what this school offers across that wide grade span, and the data provides a clear picture on academics, size, and community fit.

The school is large for its grade band, with enrollment running through the elementary and middle school years. Its student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Asian, two-or-more-races, and Black students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, and on those with disabilities or English-learner status, was not available, so a reader cannot assess the school’s economic diversity or support load from that angle without asking the school directly.

Academically, Sunset Heights shows a clear and consistent strength on the state assessments. In reading, proficiency rates across grades three through eight were solid, with most grades outperforming a simple majority and seventh grade reaching a particularly high mark. Math proficiency was also strong through the elementary grades, though it softened in seventh and eighth grade, where rates were lower. In science, tested in fifth and eighth grade, about half of students reached proficiency. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades lands it in the top quartile among districts in Maricopa County, a competitive field. That is a clear strength, and a parent looking for a school with demonstrated academic performance in the upper tier of the region should take note.

Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, which is expected for a PK-8 campus. The school offers no high school programs, AP, or career pathways, but that is a function of its grade configuration, not a deficit.

Peoria itself is a large, fast-growing suburban city northwest of Phoenix, with a development pattern that is car-dependent and sprawling. The city’s identity has shifted from its agricultural roots toward resort and leisure living, with entertainment districts, spring training baseball, and a major new semiconductor plant driving economic growth. The school’s zip code shows home values and rents that are broadly in line with the state benchmark, though both have seen a slight dip. The district has held a stable footprint of schools in recent years, with no major closures or openings reported, offering continuity for families.

For a parent, the fit question is about grade span and peer environment. Sunset Heights offers a single-campus experience from preschool through middle school, which means no transition to a separate middle school at sixth grade. The school is large, so class sizes and the feel of the building will reflect that scale. The academic record is strong, with the upper-elementary grades particularly solid. The middle school math dip, while still around the midpoint, is a soft spot a parent may want to investigate further with the school to understand the instructional approach or support available. For a family that values a proven academic record in a large suburban setting and wants to keep their child in one school through eighth grade, Sunset Heights is a strong option supported by the evidence.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 369%

School 69% · District 27% · ▲ 42 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 47% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 21% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 33% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 31% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 34% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 371%

School 71% · District 41% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 52% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 40% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 43% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 776%

School 76% · District 25% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · District 45% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Science

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 36% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 33% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolPeoria Unified School District (4237), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.