Sunset Elementary School

12824 West 12th Avenue

School District

Cheney
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on July 17, 2023

I live in Airway Heights and my child attended Sunset from kindergarten to 2nd grade before they could no longer tolerate the chaos in and out of the classrooms. Children were often disruptively loud and obnoxious all day, causing others to not be able to concentrate and otherwise learn properly. Teachers often did nothing to prevent the chaos and just allowed the interruptions to continue on a near daily basis with little to no intervention. I’m honestly not sure where all these amazing reviews are coming from, especially considering it’s a highly underfunded and overcrowded school located in a low-income town. When my child first started there the test scores for this place were 30%, meaning only 3 out of 10 students received a passing grade on state tests. This is a horrible school with teachers who are underpaid, overworked and stuck in classes expected to teach 25+ kids and keep them on track. I don’t blame the teachers for not maintaining the rowdy kids, they don’t get paid enough to do so or to even try. They’re all exhausted and unmotivated. This rating system on this site is a lie. The school is very underfunded and majority of the students are not learning anything. We tried to move our child to a different elementary in the district and were told they, too, were far overcrowded and couldn’t take more students. Tried to move them out of district to Spokane and were told if they have room after everyone registered then we could, but they were also overcrowded, so that was a no go. This entire side of the state is littered with underfunded schools and overworked teachers. ESPECIALLY this school. All those wonderful ratings are lies and exaggerated results based on unreported data. For heaven’s sake, if you can somehow prevent your child from attending this school, I beg of you to do so. It’s not the teachers’ faults either, it’s primarily the fact that state funding for schools mostly goes to sports programs instead of education. They need smaller classes and to pay the teachers enough to actually care. Instead, we have massive football and basketball budgets that are paid for with taxes for entertainment purposes only.The short of it? This school is HORRIBLE. They are LYING. Test scores are LOWER. Bullies are PREVALENT and students are left to their own devices.One last thing, if you don’t pay for school lunches ahead of time, they will literally not feed your children. It’s roughly $5 a day for school lunches and it’s all incredibly unhealthy.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2020

Very disappointed scared for my children to be forced to socialize and interact with children horrible social and parenting schools. This school should expel all problem violent bullying children who chances have ran out on.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2017

It has been nothing but terrible. I have been looking for a new school to enroll her in. They are not good with making sure children are actually learning. They are being herded like cattle.
Submitted by other on June 20, 2015

I hope it will be and continuing grow throughout these years to comes. I've heard from my brother and sister in law that this is a good experience to know and understand the spirit the school had.
Submitted by other on March 26, 2013

I have recently learned how cold and unfeeling Sunset Elementary School truly is. My granddaughter is being systematically run out of the school by teachers and counselors. My daughter is being told that her kid has to leave the school. They were kind enough to extend her exit until after Spring Break one or two weeks. Then they want to bus her to a neighboring town 10 to 15 miles away. They won't let her wait until the year is out, she has to go now. Since when does the behavior of a 10 year old demand such extreme measures. There is no room in Medical Lake where she could ride the bus with her sister; she has to go alone at the end of the school year, to an unfamiliar school. This poor kid has been bullied by students and teachers, and now she is being told she can't go to this school anymore because of her behavior. What about the administration's behavior? This is just my opinion, but it should be addressed.