Sunset Terrace Elementary, Rochester MN

Original Research by School Decision on Sunset Terrace Elementary

Sunset Terrace Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Rochester Public School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The school is part of a district that recently opened a new elementary building to address enrollment growth and has expanded online learning options and an early college high school program.

The school sits in the northwest part of Rochester, a city defined by the Mayo Clinic’s presence as a major employer and the flow of millions of visitors each year. Rochester has a downtown core of medical buildings, hotels, and retail, connected by skyways and walkways. The city has been growing modestly, with a large-scale development initiative under way tied to Mayo Clinic’s investment. Public transit and a planned bus rapid transit line serve the area. The Zumbro River runs through the city, and the parks system includes large central parks.

The student body is diverse. A little under half of the students are white, with Black students making up about a quarter of the enrollment, and Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students each accounting for roughly a tenth. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a majority of families have lower household incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the available information.

On state assessments, proficiency rates varied by grade and subject. In math, the rate dropped across the tested grades: it was at a level many would consider moderate in third grade, lower in fourth, and lowest in fifth. In reading, the pattern was similar, with the strongest results in third grade and weaker ones in fourth and fifth. Science results, which are tested only in fifth grade, were low. Compared to other schools across the districts in Olmsted County, Sunset Terrace’s overall proficiency index is below the midpoint. This means that, across tested subjects and grades, the school’s performance sits in the lower half relative to other schools in the county. A parent may want to discuss specific academic supports with the school.

Housing in the school’s area reflects a typical midwestern market. Home values and rents are in line with the state’s overall levels. The estimated monthly cost of owning a median-priced home is somewhat higher than renting, a pattern common in many places. The unemployment rate nationally has been stable, and median household income has edged up slowly in recent years.

There is no graduation rate to report because the school does not serve high school grades. Data on chronic absenteeism and discipline was not available in the material used for this profile, so those dimensions of the school’s environment are not covered here.

Sunset Terrace is a neighborhood elementary school in a growing mid-sized city with a strong institutional employer. Its student body is economically diverse, and its academic performance is lower than many peer schools in the county, particularly in the upper elementary grades. Families considering this school would want to learn about intervention and enrichment programming available for students whose scores indicate they are not yet meeting state standards.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 54% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 40% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 48% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 44% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 52% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 27% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

This schoolROCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, 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-income22%Higher-income76%54 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income44%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income53%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income43%Higher-income82%39 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income61%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income14%Higher-income41%27 pp gap