The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in English language arts. The lowest is 63% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sunrise School
Sunrise School is a K-6 elementary in Smithfield, a town that has become a quiet bedroom community for Logan and Utah State University. The school serves a sizable student body for its grade band, and the community around it is growing rapidly. Smithfield itself is overwhelmingly residential and family-oriented, with a young population and a traditional small-town Main Street. There is no major employer in town; most adults commute. The housing market is active and expensive relative to the national picture, and vacancy is very low, which underlines the demand for homes here.
Academically, Sunrise posts strong results. On Utah’s RISE assessments, a solid majority of students meet or exceed proficiency in math, English language arts, and science. When placed against other districts in Cache County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile. That is a clear strength. The school is not responsible for high school metrics like graduation rates, so a parent looking at those will need to look to the district’s secondary schools instead.
The student body is predominantly white, with a relatively small share of Hispanic students and very small numbers from other racial or ethnic groups. The proportion of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is low. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile, so a parent with a child who receives special education or language support may wish to inquire directly with the school about those services.
Smithfield is in the middle of a significant infrastructure shift. In late 2023, voters in Cache District approved a major bond that funds two new middle schools, a new elementary school, and a conversion that will move sixth grade out of elementary buildings and back into a middle school setting. That means the grade configuration at Sunrise will eventually change: it currently serves kindergarten through sixth grade, but that will shift to a K-5 model once the new buildings open. Families entering the system now should expect this transition to happen within a few years, and the district has described it as a lasting structural change.
For a parent deciding whether this school fits, the picture is straightforward. The academics are well above what is typical in the county for an elementary school. The community is growing fast, suburban, and expensive. The school is not especially diverse, and the poverty rate among its families is low. The district is investing heavily in new capacity and safety upgrades. Sunrise offers a high-performing, stable elementary experience in a town that is expanding and family-centered, with a clear plan for how sixth grade will be handled in the years ahead.
See more original research from School Decision →