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Sunset Ridge Elementary

Q: Is Sunset Ridge Elementary a good school?

Sunset Ridge Elementary ranks 108 th of 1044 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

108^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,044 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Sunset Ridge Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school located in Middleton, Wisconsin, serving grades PK-4 with a total enrollment of 298 students. The school is part of the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, which is ranked 32nd out of 426 districts in Wisconsin and is rated 5 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Sunset Ridge Elementary has consistently performed well, ranking among the top elementary schools in Wisconsin over the past several years. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school ranked 108th out of 1,044 Wisconsin elementary schools and received a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's academic performance is particularly strong, with students consistently outperforming the state and district averages in proficiency rates on the Forward Exam across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 4th-grade students achieved proficiency rates of 66.13% in English Language Arts, 75.81% in Mathematics, 87.1% in Social Studies, and 79.03% in Science, all of which are significantly higher than the state and district averages.

When compared to other schools in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, such as Elm Lawn Elementary and Sauk Trail Elementary, Sunset Ridge Elementary's performance is generally stronger. However, Pope Farm Elementary, another school in the district, has also consistently performed at a high level, with rankings and proficiency rates that are comparable to or even exceed those of Sunset Ridge Elementary. When compared to schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District, such as Muir Elementary, Crestwood Elementary, and Olson Elementary, Sunset Ridge Elementary's performance is significantly stronger across various academic measures.

309

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,408

Per pupil spending ?

9.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8686 Airport Rd
Middleton, WI 53562-4180

(608) 829-9300

District: Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

Students who attend Sunset Ridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Glacier Creek Middle
High:	Middleton High

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.5%

Asian:

12.3%

Hispanic:

7.1%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Sunset Ridge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 99th percentile in 2015 → 90th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (75% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Wisconsin elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school75%

District avg75%

Wisconsin avg55%

108^th of 1,044

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From top 1% (2015) to top 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

32^nd of 426Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District among Wisconsin 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	84.0	108 of 1044	89.7%	★★★★☆
2024	89.6	39 of 1061	96.3%	★★★★★
2023	91.2	33 of 1067	96.9%	★★★★★
2022	92.8	20 of 1067	98.1%	★★★★★
2021	88.7	63 of 1050	94.0%	★★★★★
2019	91.2	32 of 1037	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	95.7	6 of 1025	99.4%	★★★★★
2017	95.0	11 of 1071	99.0%	★★★★★
2016	96.4	4 of 1075	99.6%	★★★★★
2015	92.1	7 of 1076	99.3%	★★★★★
2014	88.9	34 of 1061	96.8%	★★★★★
2013	87.9	36 of 1053	96.6%	★★★★★
2012	81.0	55 of 1045	94.7%	★★★★★
2011	85.8	21 of 1046	98.0%	★★★★★
2010	87.1	9 of 1045	99.1%	★★★★★
2009	86.8	16 of 1030	98.4%	★★★★★
2008	81.0	71 of 1021	93.0%	★★★★★
2007	81.0	73 of 689	89.4%	★★★★☆
2006	80.3	92 of 712	87.1%	★★★★☆
2005	72.8	181 of 632	71.4%	★★★★☆
2004	78.6	116 of 633	81.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2023	91.4	13 of 116	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	94.2	2 of 110	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	94.1	3 of 106	97.2%	★★★★★
2019	92.4	7 of 122	94.3%	★★★★★
2018	93.6	2 of 107	98.1%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2019	85.1	22 of 275	92.0%	★★★★★
2018	99.3	2 of 287	99.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	84.2	86 of 1001	91.4%	★★★★★
2024	90.3	32 of 1011	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	92.8	21 of 1010	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	94.6	10 of 1017	99.0%	★★★★★
2021	86.7	69 of 1004	93.1%	★★★★★
2019	89.9	33 of 1002	96.7%	★★★★★
2018	96.0	5 of 997	99.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2024	97.5	6 of 331	98.2%	★★★★★
2018	85.4	27 of 271	90.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	60.4	300 of 870	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.0	101 of 871	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	80.4	72 of 874	91.8%	★★★★★
2018	95.0	8 of 854	99.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	81.5	136 of 1000	86.4%	★★★★☆
2024	85.4	75 of 1012	92.6%	★★★★★
2023	88.0	52 of 1011	94.9%	★★★★★
2022	89.2	34 of 1017	96.7%	★★★★★
2021	87.3	63 of 1003	93.7%	★★★★★
2019	90.3	37 of 1002	96.3%	★★★★★
2018	93.4	16 of 997	98.4%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2018	94.3	4 of 67	94.0%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	59.6	271 of 802	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	87.6	55 of 790	93.0%	★★★★★
2023	79.6	78 of 770	89.9%	★★★★☆
2019	40.8	415 of 742	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	77.5	82 of 721	88.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	79.1	112 of 718	84.4%	★★★★☆
2024	84.8	53 of 727	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	87.1	43 of 715	94.0%	★★★★★
2022	87.2	40 of 704	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	77.4	110 of 699	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	88.8	38 of 718	94.7%	★★★★★
2018	94.7	10 of 686	98.5%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2024)98th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2018)94th percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2019)92nd percentile-5 vs school

Female (2025)91st percentile~ school

Asian (2023)89th percentile-8 vs school

Male (2025)86th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)84th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2025)66th percentile-23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)66th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies87%+23 vs state

Science79%+28 vs state

Mathematics77%+23 vs state

English Language Arts65%+13 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Really bad/inconsistent communication with parents unless you have the luxury of being able to go down there frequently and badger them until you get the answers you need I work full-time and don't live close by so this is not always possible. They don't talk to you unless theyre freaking out, everything is either a huge crisis or doesn't get talked about at all.

In the two years we've lived in this district I have had teachers tell me to not even bother volunteering with their classes. Many teachers and staff I've encountered seem to be on auto-pilot and don't really listen, they pretend to and then ignore concerns or shrug them off as someone elses problem. The only people I've worked with there who takes the time to get in touch with me, listen to my concerns, and tries to create positive outcomes is the guidance counselor and Mrs. Johnson.

Bullying is getting worse even in grades as low as first and kindergarten I have witnessed physical conflicts, groups excluding certain kids, name calling, etc.

The PTA's only focus is money. I get no sense of community in spite of volunteering for a half dozen committees I've never been contacted about any kind of physical volunteering, just requests for money/donations.

I am was really disappointed, I had high hopes that this would be a good school for my kids and at this point I really have no faith that it is, because it doesn't seem like they're doing anything at all. Now it looks like we'll be moving just to have a better option. Close Quote

Schools Near Sunset Ridge Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2025)			Forward Exam Mathematics (2025)			Forward Exam Social Studies (2025)	Forward Exam Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sunset Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	8686 Airport Rd	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 829-9300	309	26	11.6	9.1%	221 (71.5%)	7 (2.3%)	22 (7.1%)	38 (12.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.5%)	84	108^th of 1044 public elementary schools	89.7%		89.6	39^th of 1061 public elementary schools	96.3%	69	64.3	66.1		78.6	75.8		87.1	79.0	$13,408	$193	$13,216
Pope Farm Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	816 Schewe Rd	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 826-7700	448	32	13.8	7.8%	231 (51.6%)	13 (2.9%)	16 (3.6%)	161 (35.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.7%)	92	17^th of 1044 public elementary schools	98.4%		91.9	23^rd of 1061 public elementary schools	97.8%	6	77.0	85.6		82.8	87.8		87.8	82.2	$13,285	$165	$13,120
Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1209 Park St	Cross Plains	53528	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 829-9250	245	20	12.4	14.7%	209 (85.3%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.5%)	88.4	49^th of 1044 public elementary schools	95.3%		71.7	292^nd of 1061 public elementary schools	72.5%	243	67.9	80.0		82.1	84.4		88.9	75.6	$14,214	$311	$13,903
West Middleton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	7627 W Mineral Point Rd	Verona	53593	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 829-9360	334	31	10.7	15.6%	240 (71.9%)	29 (8.7%)	20 (6.0%)	17 (5.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.1%)	86.3	68^th of 1044 public elementary schools	93.5%		83.7	112^th of 1061 public elementary schools	89.4%	44	68.1	78.9		75.4	84.4		84.4	70.0	$14,017	$643	$13,374
Northside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	3620 High Rd	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 829-9130	307	25	12.4	19.5%	191 (62.2%)	7 (2.3%)	46 (15.0%)	28 (9.1%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.4%)	79.8	162^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	84.5%		90	38^th of 1061 public elementary schools	96.4%	124	78.3	72.1		64.5	62.3		82.4	70.6	$12,066	$503	$11,563
Elm Lawn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6701 Woodgate Rd	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 829-9070	313	28	11.3	14.7%	224 (71.6%)	19 (6.1%)	27 (8.6%)	24 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.1%)	89.7	34^th of 1044 public elementary schools	96.7%		84.1	100^th of 1061 public elementary schools	90.6%	66	68.9	85.5		75.4	85.5		90.3	83.9	$13,491	$309	$13,182
Sauk Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2205 Branch St	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 829-9190	360	39	9.1	41.9%	164 (45.6%)	38 (10.6%)	100 (27.8%)	30 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.8%)	60.6	451^st of 1044 public elementary schools	56.8%		58.1	513^th of 1061 public elementary schools	51.6%	62	66.7	48.6		55.3	54.8		71.2	57.5	$14,955	$557	$14,398
Olson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	801 Redan Dr	Verona	53593	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 442-2600	462	42	10.9	23.2%	242 (52.4%)	41 (8.9%)	51 (11.0%)	80 (17.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (10.0%)	70.6	304^th of 1044 public elementary schools	70.9%		64	421^st of 1061 public elementary schools	60.3%	117	71.2	66.1	54.8	68.2	61.0	57.1	70.0	60.0	$14,348	$527	$13,822
Muir Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6602 Inner Dr	Madison	53705	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 663-8170	377	37	10.0	50.9%	121 (32.1%)	119 (31.6%)	37 (9.8%)	57 (15.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (11.4%)	55.8	514^th of 1044 public elementary schools	50.8%		49.4	629^th of 1061 public elementary schools	40.7%	115	54.4	51.2	52.9	47.8	67.4	43.1	69.8	58.1	$15,106	$807	$14,300
Crestwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5930 Old Sauk Rd	Madison	53705	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-1120	293	25	11.8	24.2%	181 (61.8%)	32 (10.9%)	41 (14.0%)	14 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.2%)	78.1	190^th of 1044 public elementary schools	81.8%		64.4	414^th of 1061 public elementary schools	61.0%	224	61.5	67.7	68.2	66.7	73.5	65.9	82.4	67.7	$17,154	$399	$16,756

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunset Ridge Elementary

What district is Sunset Ridge Elementary in?

Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

How many students attend Sunset Ridge Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 309 students attended Sunset Ridge Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sunset Ridge Elementary?

Students at Sunset Ridge Elementary are 72% White, 12% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Is Sunset Ridge Elementary a good school?

Sunset Ridge Elementary ranks 108^th of 1044 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sunset Ridge Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Glacier Creek Middle
High : Middleton High

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