Sunset Elementary, Livermore CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Sunset Elementary

Sunset Elementary is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school in Livermore serving a mid-sized enrollment. The school's student body is majority white, with sizable shares of Asian and Hispanic students. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, placing the school in a mixed-income catchment area.

Academically, Sunset sits in the top quartile among Alameda County districts on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The school's profile in English language arts is stronger than in math. In third grade, about four out of five students met or exceeded state proficiency in ELA, and math results at that level were also solid. By fourth and fifth grade, ELA proficiency held steady in the mid-to-high range, while math proficiency declined, falling into the low-to-mid range by fifth grade. Science testing occurs only in fifth grade at Alameda County schools; about two in three students at Sunset reached proficiency there.

The grade-level pattern is common: younger students often perform stronger than upper-elementary students on state assessments. Whether that pattern reflects curriculum sequencing, student mobility, or other factors would be worth discussing with the school, especially for families thinking through their own child's trajectory toward middle school. State testing data for this school exists only for the current year, so no trend line is available.

Livermore is a mixed community of residential neighborhoods, vineyards, and technology anchors, centered on Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory alongside a historic wine industry. Downtown Livermore has become increasingly walkable and lively, concentrated on First Street with cafes, shops, and cultural venues. The city is in a growth phase, with new housing developments underway and office-to-residential conversions in planning, though housing costs remain high for the region.

Sunset sits on a dispersed school campus outside the downtown core, as do other schools in the Livermore Valley Joint Unified district. The district has faced recent fiscal headwinds. A facilities bond was defeated in 2022, leaving aging buildings without a major capital funding source. The district approved significant budget reductions for the upcoming school year, including staff cuts, after earlier proposals to close schools drew strong community pushback. A locally approved parcel tax continues to support class sizes and enrichment programs through 2029, providing some supplemental stability, but families considering this school should be aware of the budget environment and its implications for staffing and programs as they plan ahead.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 388%

School 88% · District 64% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 470%

School 70% · District 63% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 56% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 382%

School 82% · District 61% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 62% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 576%

School 76% · District 66% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 54% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

This schoolLivermore Valley Joint Unified, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income77%35 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income80%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income58%Higher-income71%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income71%31 pp gap