Sunset Elementary, San Francisco CA

Original Research by School Decision on Sunset Elementary

Sunset Elementary sits in a dense residential neighborhood in the Sunset District of San Francisco, serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school enrolls students across six evenly-sized grades, with moderate diversity in the student body: the enrollment is majority Asian, with meaningful shares of students identifying as white or two or more races, smaller populations of Hispanic students, and very few Black students. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's recent state test results are strong, particularly in mathematics and language arts at the earlier elementary grades. In third grade, proficiency in math is notably high across the board. By fifth grade, performance in language arts remains solid, though math proficiency declines somewhat as students progress. Science testing, available only in fifth grade, shows considerably lower proficiency than reading and math, which is worth noting if science instruction is a priority for your family.

Mathematics proficiency overall across tested grades sits at a level that places Sunset among the top-performing schools in San Francisco County's district comparison set. English language arts proficiency across tested grades also ranks at the top of the county comparison group. These results reflect consistent strength in the core subjects across the primary grades.

The neighborhood around Sunset Elementary is primarily residential, organized around streets with single-family homes and quieter blocks typical of the Sunset District. The area is highly walkable and well-served by public transit, including Muni bus lines and proximity to the Muni Metro system. Housing in the zip code is expensive, with median home values significantly above state and national benchmarks, and rents are correspondingly high. A family considering this area should expect both the premium price tag and the character of a established residential neighborhood with convenient access to parks and commercial corridors along the main streets.

Growth and change in San Francisco have centered on downtown revitalization and housing development in the southern and western areas. The Sunset District itself, though westerly, has seen less direct redevelopment pressure than central neighborhoods; it remains stable and family-oriented. The broader city is working toward housing-production goals in coming years, and the school's enrollment may reflect those patterns, though district-level strategic priorities and recent changes were not available.

Special education, English learner, and other subgroup data were not provided, so a parent may want to look into the school directly about how it supports students with different learning needs and home languages. The school does not serve sixth grade, so families will need to consider middle school transitions. Science proficiency in fifth grade suggests that families prioritizing strong science preparation may want to discuss curriculum and resources with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 395%

School 95% · District 52% · ▲ 44 pts above district

▲ 53 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Grade 484%

School 84% · District 49% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 575%

School 75% · District 46% · ▲ 28 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 383%

School 83% · District 47% · ▲ 36 pts above district

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

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 51% · ▲ 28 pts above district

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

Grade 591%

School 91% · District 55% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Science

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 42% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

This schoolSan Francisco 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 3Lower-income74%Higher-income87%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income67%Higher-income83%16 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income88%Higher-income92%4 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income95%Higher-income96%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income67%Higher-income89%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income72%Higher-income76%4 pp gap