The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in Science. The lowest is 18% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Sunrise Elementary School
Sunrise Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Cherry Creek School District, one of Aurora’s major employers. It sits within a sprawling, car-dependent section of the city, an area of master-planned subdivisions and commercial strips that lack a single walkable downtown. The school itself is a mid-sized elementary campus, but its student body carries a concentration of economic need.
Roughly two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that places the school well above the district average. The student population is notably diverse: Hispanic students form the largest single group, followed by white students, then Black students, students identifying as two or more races, and Asian students. The school has a small number of American Indian students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the profile, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about its special education and multilingual learner supports.
On state assessments in math and English language arts, proficiency rates are low. Fewer than one in five students met the state’s college-and-career-ready benchmark in either subject. In fifth-grade science, the rate was similar. These results place Sunrise well below the midpoint of both the Cherry Creek district and other districts in Arapahoe County. The school’s overall proficiency index, across tested subjects and grades, sits below the median of the seven districts in the county for which this metric was available. Test participation was adequate but not universal, which means the reported proficiency rates reflect nearly all students but may miss a small number of absent or opted-out children.
Because Sunrise is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report. Nor were data available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access—common gaps when a school does not serve secondary grades or lacks state reporting in those areas. The available academic picture is one of a school where many students are not yet reaching grade-level expectations, a pattern that often correlates with the high level of economic disadvantage in the building.
The housing market around the school reflects the broader Aurora area. Home values have softened modestly in the past year, while rents have edged up. The price-to-income ratio is elevated nationally, putting homeownership out of reach for many families in the surrounding zip code. The typical rent in this part of Aurora consumes a substantial share of a median household income, a reminder that affordability is a live concern for many of the families who send children to Sunrise.
The Cherry Creek School District, as a whole, is one of the largest and most established in Colorado, and it operates across a wide range of socioeconomic contexts. Sunrise sits at the higher-need end of that spectrum. The district’s strategic priorities, recent initiatives, or investments at this school were not available in the data provided, so a parent looking for more about what is being done to raise achievement here would need to inquire at the district level or with the principal.
Aurora itself is a fast-growing, decentralized city with major employment anchors including Buckley Space Force Base and the Anschutz Medical Campus. Its growth continues, particularly along the corridor toward Denver International Airport, but the area around Sunrise is already built out. The school serves a neighborhood that is established rather than new, with a student body that reflects the city’s broad racial and economic diversity. For families who value that diversity and are comfortable with a high-need setting, this school offers a small, neighborhood-anchored environment. For those looking for higher academic proficiency rates or a more affluent peer group, the district has other elementary options, though the data does not indicate what those are or how difficult they are to access through enrollment boundaries or choice programs.
See more original research from School Decision →