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Sunset Hills Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-8
254th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools
Better than 72% of Arizona elementary schools
Summary

Sunset Hills Elementary is a public elementary school located in Surprise, Arizona, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 979 students. It is part of the Dysart Unified District, which is ranked 132 out of 289 districts in Arizona and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sunset Hills Elementary consistently performs above the Dysart Unified District and Arizona state averages in various standardized test scores, including AzSCI/Science, AASA/English Language Arts, and AASA/Mathematics. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Sunset Hills Elementary had 55% of 5th graders and 59% of 8th graders proficient or better in AzSCI/Science, compared to 43% and 42% for the Dysart Unified District, and 34% and 30% for the state of Arizona. The school also has a strong performance across various student subgroups, including Hispanic, White, and English Language Learner students.

While Sunset Hills Elementary performs well compared to other schools in the Dysart Unified District, such as Mountain View, Countryside Elementary, and Sonoran Heights Middle School, it lags behind the high-performing charter schools in the area, such as Freedom Traditional Academy and Paradise Honors Elementary School, which consistently rank higher in the state and have stronger academic performance.

877
Students ?
19.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$7,498
Per pupil spending ?
41.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 17825 W Sierra Montana Loop
       Surprise, AZ  85388-7880

(623) 523-8700

District: Dysart Unified District


Students who attend Sunset Hills Elementary usually attend:

High:    Shadow Ridge High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
42.8%
Hispanic:
37.1%
Two or more races:
10.0%
more
 See top rated Arizona elementary schools

 Compare Sunset Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 61st percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the Arizona average (50% vs 36% meeting standards)
Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2015
Above the Arizona median (72nd percentile)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school50%
District avg43%
Arizona avg36%
Elementary school
254th of 909
Arizona public elementary schools ?
Top 28%▲ up 11 pts since 2015
From top 39% (2015) to top 28% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
162nd of 552
Arizona public middle schools ?
Top 29%▲ up 21 pts since 2015
From top 50% (2015) to top 29% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
5th of 19Elementary Schools in the Dysart Unified District
132nd of 289Dysart Unified District among Arizona districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202569.8254 of 90972.1%★★★★☆
202456.0357 of 91260.9%★★★☆☆
202371.6321 of 124574.2%★★★★☆
202266.6287 of 100071.3%★★★★☆
202168.6360 of 122670.6%★★★★☆
201959.2407 of 103960.8%★★★☆☆
201853.3472 of 110957.4%★★★☆☆
201754.3451 of 110659.2%★★★☆☆
201663.6370 of 107965.7%★★★☆☆
201555.8372 of 95561.0%★★★☆☆
201474.3277 of 107974.3%★★★★☆
201372.0309 of 115873.3%★★★★☆
201273.8281 of 114175.4%★★★★☆
201178.8223 of 107579.3%★★★★☆
201082.5176 of 109083.9%★★★★☆
200978.7216 of 106279.7%★★★★☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202330.0459 of 60724.4%★☆☆☆☆
202224.2261 of 2899.7%★☆☆☆☆
202147.0376 of 89558.0%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202389.028 of 45193.8%★★★★★
202149.3213 of 97578.2%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202556.1232 of 58960.6%★★★☆☆
202440.4350 of 60241.9%★★☆☆☆
202373.0288 of 121976.4%★★★★☆
202264.7249 of 82469.8%★★★★☆
202164.6383 of 121968.6%★★★☆☆
201955.8366 of 86257.5%★★★☆☆
201861.7375 of 102363.3%★★★☆☆

Foster Care

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202134.8191 of 30637.6%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202561.6167 of 49666.3%★★★☆☆
202461.5163 of 48666.5%★★★☆☆
202375.3208 of 117082.2%★★★★☆
202264.1257 of 71664.1%★★★☆☆
202166.4300 of 119875.0%★★★★☆
201957.5271 of 70961.8%★★★☆☆
201862.6284 of 91168.8%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202562.2176 of 54967.9%★★★☆☆
202456.4197 of 55664.6%★★★☆☆
202368.3256 of 111677.1%★★★★☆
202259.5246 of 61860.2%★★★☆☆
201837.4519 of 82036.7%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202555.0253 of 62659.6%★★★☆☆
202441.8342 of 62845.5%★★☆☆☆
202366.7361 of 121670.3%★★★★☆
202253.5371 of 83055.3%★★★☆☆
202169.2342 of 122072.0%★★★★☆
201944.6440 of 85048.2%★★☆☆☆
201845.1528 of 103248.8%★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202336.9107 of 14526.2%★☆☆☆☆
202249.856 of 10144.6%★★☆☆☆
202152.1116 of 23951.5%★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202336.2449 of 61727.2%★☆☆☆☆
202245.2264 of 44440.5%★★☆☆☆
202147.9483 of 102753.0%★★★☆☆

Native American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202146.0249 of 65461.9%★★★☆☆

Pacific Islander

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202241.015 of 2437.5%★★☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202344.6390 of 82052.4%★★★☆☆
202159.8286 of 120176.2%★★★★☆
201826.6322 of 41722.8%★☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202562.6156 of 46566.5%★★★☆☆
202435.7339 of 48630.2%★★☆☆☆
202365.1317 of 102469.0%★★★☆☆
202259.9279 of 80065.1%★★★☆☆
202164.4366 of 116168.5%★★★☆☆
201937.8395 of 59533.6%★★☆☆☆
201835.7493 of 72031.5%★★☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202563.4162 of 55270.7%★★★★☆
202452.2229 of 55058.4%★★★☆☆
202373.5177 of 85479.3%★★★★☆
202269.5156 of 60574.2%★★★★☆
202168.4207 of 83275.1%★★★★☆
201965.0202 of 60566.6%★★★☆☆
201855.0272 of 71161.7%★★★☆☆
201758.2236 of 69566.0%★★★☆☆
201671.0163 of 67775.9%★★★★☆
201543.3261 of 52149.9%★★★☆☆
201478.9140 of 69079.7%★★★★☆
201378.9133 of 78783.1%★★★★☆
201275.6156 of 77279.8%★★★★☆
201175.9151 of 68578.0%★★★★☆
201081.8110 of 69284.1%★★★★☆
200977.4128 of 66380.7%★★★★☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202353.8147 of 40063.3%★★★☆☆
202138.5312 of 57345.5%★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202141.8272 of 60655.1%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202555.0146 of 39563.0%★★★☆☆
202441.8205 of 38646.9%★★☆☆☆
202369.2191 of 80676.3%★★★★☆
202268.3124 of 49474.9%★★★★☆
202169.0203 of 82075.2%★★★★☆
201957.5183 of 46660.7%★★★☆☆
201853.4248 of 62460.3%★★★☆☆

Foster Care

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202147.564 of 16661.4%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202564.191 of 34573.6%★★★★☆
202457.1106 of 32967.8%★★★☆☆
202369.6158 of 76079.2%★★★★☆
202269.892 of 39276.5%★★★★☆
202173.2126 of 80284.3%★★★★☆
201972.680 of 38779.3%★★★★☆
201855.6180 of 54366.9%★★★☆☆

Homeless

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202166.823 of 25791.1%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202554.8115 of 34466.6%★★★☆☆
202458.2100 of 32068.8%★★★☆☆
202369.4142 of 71780.2%★★★★☆
202267.388 of 36976.2%★★★★☆
201838.8280 of 50344.3%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202551.4158 of 37958.3%★★★☆☆
202443.2193 of 37047.8%★★☆☆☆
202374.8154 of 81081.0%★★★★☆
202257.8184 of 47661.3%★★★☆☆
202164.7218 of 81873.3%★★★★☆
201958.7162 of 43562.8%★★★☆☆
201852.3233 of 61762.2%★★★☆☆

Military Connected

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202363.627 of 11075.5%★★★★☆
202239.050 of 6826.5%★☆☆☆☆
202144.785 of 14340.6%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202353.7168 of 38456.3%★★★☆☆
202240.2156 of 21126.1%★☆☆☆☆
202141.3361 of 65044.5%★★☆☆☆

Native American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202128.8285 of 39026.9%★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202252.123 of 3636.1%★★☆☆☆
202142.5390 of 78950.6%★★★☆☆
201845.574 of 17858.4%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202559.395 of 27765.7%★★★☆☆
202443.2163 of 28843.4%★★☆☆☆
202367.0163 of 67575.9%★★★★☆
202260.1156 of 44665.0%★★★☆☆
202165.4219 of 78071.9%★★★★☆
201943.6196 of 33741.8%★★☆☆☆
201838.8270 of 43638.1%★★☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Elementary school
English Language Learner (2023)94th percentile+20 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)68th percentile-4 vs school
White (2025)66th percentile-6 vs school
Hispanic (2025)66th percentile-6 vs school
Native American (2021)62nd percentile-9 vs school
Female (2025)61st percentile-11 vs school
Male (2025)60th percentile-12 vs school
Special Education (2023)52nd percentile-22 vs school
Foster Care (2021)38th percentile-33 vs school
Pacific Islander (2022)38th percentile-34 vs school
Multi-racial (2023)27th percentile-47 vs school
Military Connected (2023)26th percentile-48 vs school
African American (2023)24th percentile-50 vs school
Middle school
Homeless (2021)91st percentile+16 vs school
Military Connected (2023)75th percentile-4 vs school
Hispanic (2025)74th percentile+3 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile-4 vs school
White (2025)66th percentile-5 vs school
African American (2023)63rd percentile-16 vs school
Female (2025)63rd percentile-8 vs school
Foster Care (2021)61st percentile-14 vs school
Male (2025)58th percentile-12 vs school
Multi-racial (2023)56th percentile-23 vs school
English Language Learner (2021)55th percentile-20 vs school
Special Education (2022)36th percentile-38 vs school
Native American (2021)27th percentile-48 vs school
By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?
Science57%+25 vs state
English Language Arts52%+12 vs state
Mathematics46%+13 vs state

2.4
5 ratings · 3 written reviews
51
40
31
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12
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What people are saying
by a parent
Friday, May 12, 2017

Open Quote My child was bullied and staff did nothing and principals did nothing worst school i have ever dealt with Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Open Quote I am very disapointed in this school. There is no leadership from the principal and no after school work to do. There is no way to really succeed here. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, April 23, 2009

Open Quote This school has disappointed me. They have taken away homework because they feel that it puts kids in a box, and "kids should have the freedom to be who they want to be". My son's work has proven to fail because of this new system. The principal can't get the parents to be accountable for having their children turn in assignments so they have decided to punish all the children's futures. The principal never gets back to you when call, this school two years ago was amazing, but it is sad to say that it has gone down the toilet. If you want your child to succeed, they I would find another school!!!! Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Sunset Hills Elementary

Sunset Hills Elementary ranks 254th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Sunset Hills Elementary are 43% White, 37% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 8% African American.

In the 2024-25 school year, 877 students attended Sunset Hills Elementary.

Students who attend Sunset Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Shadow Ridge High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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