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Sunset Primary

Public Grades PK, KG-4
Summary

Sunset Primary is a well-regarded public elementary school (PK-4) serving 548 students in the highly-rated University Place School District.

Academically, Sunset Primary is a solid and consistent performer, with test scores in both English and Math that beat the Washington state average, and it has maintained a stable 4-star rating for years. The school shows particular strength in supporting specific student groups, such as Hispanic and multi-racial students, who perform very well compared to their peers across the state. However, a notable and growing gap exists between the achievement of female and male students, which is an area the school is likely monitoring. While Sunset is a strong school, it is the lowest-ranked among the four elementary schools within its own exceptional district, with peers like Chambers Elementary and University Place Primary achieving higher overall rankings.

When compared to schools in neighboring districts like Tacoma and Clover Park, the advantage of being in the University Place district is clear; even the lowest-performing University Place school ranks higher than the best nearby cross-district options, such as Geiger Montessori School. An interesting point is that Sunset Primary has the highest per-student spending in its district but does not have the highest outcomes, suggesting resources are allocated to meet specific student needs. For parents, Sunset Primary offers a stable, high-quality education in a top-tier district, with a track record of success for many students and a community that invests significantly in its schools.

548
Students ?
16.8
Student/teacher ratio ?
$19,118
Per pupil spending ?
37.8%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 4523 97th Ave W
       University Place, WA  98466

(253) 566-5640

District: University Place School District


Students who attend Sunset Primary usually attend:

Middle:    Drum Intermediate
High:    Curtis Senior High
Racial breakdown:

White:
46.2%
Hispanic:
20.8%
Two or more races:
18.2%
more
 See top rated Washington public schools

 Compare Sunset Primary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 66th percentile in 2012 → 76th in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the Washington average (73% vs 48% meeting standards)
Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2012
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school73%
District avg68%
Washington avg48%
Not ranked this year
Sunset Primary did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.
11th of 238University Place School District among Washington districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202574.1275 of 116076.3%★★★★☆
202472.1296 of 116874.7%★★★★☆
202375.7266 of 116977.2%★★★★☆
202275.1276 of 116976.4%★★★★☆
201975.0268 of 113076.3%★★★★☆
201875.4250 of 105476.3%★★★★☆
201787.5113 of 105689.3%★★★★☆
201581.0174 of 106783.7%★★★★☆
201363.3414 of 110662.6%★★★☆☆
201265.7373 of 109766.0%★★★☆☆
201179.3164 of 109285.0%★★★★☆
201079.4162 of 108885.1%★★★★☆
200967.4324 of 107269.8%★★★☆☆
200879.3162 of 106784.8%★★★★☆
200778.2164 of 106984.7%★★★★☆
200678.5159 of 105184.9%★★★★☆
200569.0294 of 103171.5%★★★★☆
200481.8140 of 102686.4%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202586.9128 of 109288.3%★★★★☆
202471.4280 of 109374.4%★★★★☆
202373.2262 of 109476.1%★★★★☆
202275.1253 of 110077.0%★★★★☆
201967.7344 of 106867.8%★★★☆☆
201864.0366 of 100463.5%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202575.8105 of 65984.1%★★★★☆
202485.251 of 65192.2%★★★★★
202384.751 of 63391.9%★★★★★
202262.9182 of 69473.8%★★★★☆
201976.6109 of 69784.4%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202693.916 of 100898.4%★★★★★
202568.2256 of 101374.7%★★★★☆
202458.5394 of 102461.5%★★★☆☆
202377.6146 of 101385.6%★★★★☆
202280.988 of 101991.4%★★★★★
201977.4118 of 97987.9%★★★★☆
201866.9214 of 83574.4%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202682.4174 of 105983.6%★★★★☆
202554.3466 of 109857.6%★★★☆☆
202467.4331 of 109969.9%★★★☆☆
202373.7263 of 109976.1%★★★★☆
202272.0287 of 111374.2%★★★★☆
201980.2193 of 107582.0%★★★★☆
201882.8153 of 99984.7%★★★★☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202579.025 of 19787.3%★★★★☆
202452.788 of 18853.2%★★★☆☆
202353.688 of 19454.6%★★★☆☆
202247.0138 of 25245.2%★★☆☆☆
201964.397 of 30368.0%★★★☆☆
201869.766 of 21268.9%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202238.9274 of 47842.7%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202565.0340 of 100766.2%★★★☆☆
202467.1322 of 100968.1%★★★☆☆
202380.5172 of 101183.0%★★★★☆
202279.4192 of 103181.4%★★★★☆
201981.5158 of 102784.6%★★★★☆
201873.8216 of 83374.1%★★★★☆
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)
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)98th percentile
Female (2025)88th percentile+12 vs school
Multi-racial (2025)87th percentile+11 vs school
Hispanic (2025)84th percentile+8 vs school
Male (2026)84th percentile
White (2025)66th percentile-10 vs school
Special Education (2022)43rd percentile-34 vs school
By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts73%+21 vs state
Math73%+29 vs state

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Schools Near Sunset Primary

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Frequently Asked Questions about Sunset Primary

Students at Sunset Primary are 46% White, 21% Hispanic, 18% Two or more races, 8% African American, 7% Asian.

In the 2024-25 school year, 548 students attended Sunset Primary.

Students who attend Sunset Primary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Drum Intermediate
High : Curtis Senior High

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Latest Washington data All new data »
2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresNewSep 10, 2026
2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026
2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026
2024–25 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2025


SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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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