The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Math. The lowest is 53% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Sunset Elementary
Sunset Elementary sits on the eastern side of Cody, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as one of three elementary schools in Park County School District #6. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is modest and evenly spread across the six grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population and a handful of students from other racial backgrounds. Just over a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and special education enrollment was not reported, so those profiles remain unknown here.
On state assessments through Wyoming's WY-TOPP, Sunset shows a pattern worth understanding. Third graders performed solidly in both math and English language arts, with clear majorities reaching proficiency. Fourth grade is where the school dips. Proficiency in math, ELA, and science all fall to roughly half the tested group, below the stronger third-grade results. Fifth grade bounces back strongly, with a large majority proficient in both math and ELA. Full participation across every tested grade and subject means these results reflect the whole class, not a partial sample. The overall proficiency index, which averages across tested subjects and grades, places Sunset below the midpoint relative to the three districts in Park County. A parent looking at these numbers may want to ask the school what is driving the fourth-grade dip and what supports are in place as students move through that transition year.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether this year's pattern is typical or unusual. Graduation rates do not apply here because Sunset is an elementary school. Chronic absenteeism figures were also missing, and no civil-rights data on discipline or course access was provided.
Cody itself is the county seat of Park County and the primary eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Founded by Buffalo Bill Cody, the town blends a compact, walkable downtown with lower-density residential areas spreading outward against mountain backdrops like Heart Mountain to the north and Cedar Mountain to the south. The economy runs on tourism, health care, retail trade, and educational services. The town draws large numbers of seasonal visitors and relies on J-1 visa workers to staff hotels and restaurants during peak season. Civic and cultural anchors cluster near the core, including the Buffalo Bill Center of the West with its five museums, the historic Irma Hotel, and more than twenty developed parks with pathways throughout. Public schools, though, operate on separated campuses spread across the district rather than concentrated downtown. Yellowstone Regional Airport offers year-round commercial flights to Denver, and the Buffalo Bill Dam and reservoir lie a short drive west.
The housing market around Sunset Elementary is relatively expensive compared with state and national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code sit well above the Wyoming median and the national median, though values have declined modestly over the past year. Rents are more accessible relative to local incomes than buying would be, with the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home running substantially higher than rent. This means families renting near Sunset face a more affordable path than those looking to purchase, though the housing stock and pricing will depend on what is available in this tourism-driven market.
We looked for recent district-level changes such as curriculum shifts, bond issues, or property-tax changes that might affect families at Park County School District #6 but found little of lasting impact in publicly reported sources. Likewise, no specific program offerings for Sunset were listed in the data provided, so parents would need to contact the school directly for details on extracurriculars, intervention supports, or enrichment offerings.
For a family considering Sunset, the academic picture is one of solid performance in the earlier and later elementary grades with a fourth-grade soft spot worth asking about. The setting is a small tourism-oriented Wyoming town with strong civic amenities and a wide housing affordability gap between renting and owning.
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