Sundown Elementary, Lancaster CA

Original Research by School Decision on Sundown Elementary

Sundown Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Lancaster, a mid-sized charter city in the high-desert Antelope Valley of northern Los Angeles County. The school draws students from a residential area west of downtown Lancaster's cultural district, The BLVD, which houses the public library, performing arts center, and museums.

The school's enrollment is small to moderate for its grade band. A substantial majority of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the families the school serves. The student body is diverse, with large shares of Hispanic and Black students, a smaller share of white students, and small populations of Asian, multiracial, and other groups.

State assessment results from the most recent test cycle show Sundown Elementary performing well below the midpoint among the county's elementary schools in overall proficiency. In English language arts, students' proficiency rates range from about one-quarter at the highest grade tested to two-fifths at grades in the middle of the school's range. In mathematics, proficiency rates are notably lower, ranging from about one-eighth at the sixth-grade level to roughly one-quarter in the lower tested grades. In science, tested only at the fifth-grade level, proficiency was again in the lower range. These results reflect the profile of a school with substantial academic challenges relative to county peers, and a parent may want to look into this further with school staff to understand what supports and interventions are in place, and what academic trajectory the school is working toward.

Kindergarten through second grade are not state-tested, so direct academic data for those grades is not available. Families with younger children would benefit from asking the school directly about instructional approaches, classroom composition, and early-literacy and numeracy support at those grade levels.

The district, Westside Union Elementary, formed a special-tax district in 2024 under the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act to finance new school sites and facilities. This matters if your family is considering a move into newly developed residential areas within the district: such properties are subject to an additional annual special tax on the property bill, separate from regular property taxes, and this tax remains in effect for decades until bond debt is repaid.

Lancaster itself is positioned as a growing city with substantial industrial and residential development in the pipeline. The Metrolink Antelope Valley Line terminates in Lancaster, providing a rail link to downtown Los Angeles. The city's economy is anchored by aerospace and defense, healthcare, and public education. Housing costs in the area are moderate relative to many parts of Los Angeles County, though they reflect broader regional trends. For families considering Sundown Elementary, the school offers a neighborhood setting within a community undergoing active development and investment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 41% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 38% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 29% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 34% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 45% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 45% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 51% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 48% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 31% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolWestside Union Elementary, 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-income24%Higher-income53%29 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income25%Higher-income58%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income30%Higher-income55%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income32%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income13%Higher-income38%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income16%Higher-income31%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income16%Higher-income26%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income8%Higher-income20%12 pp gap