Sunset Ridge Elementary

Set in Middleton, Wisconsin, Sunset Ridge Elementary is a middle-of-the-pack K-5 school, overseen by Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. It teaches 309 students across grades pre-K through 4.

Sunset Ridge Elementary is one of 12 schools operated by Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, a district that teaches 7,167 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Sunset Ridge Elementary shows that 72% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school logs 12% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 2% Black.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school reports having 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.7:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.7:1, putting Sunset Ridge Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 9% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Dane County (around 32%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Sunset Ridge Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 72.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 77.3%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Dane County) records that median household earnings sit near $89,975, 55% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Sunset Ridge Elementary is one of 169 public schools in Dane County (combined enrollment of about 78,525 students).

Nearest neighbor: Glacier Creek Middle, around 2.5 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Sunset Ridge Elementary ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 68.9%.

Sunset Ridge Elementary operates from a residential location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Sunset Ridge Elementary has declined 35%, going from 473 students in 2018 to 309 in 2025. The Asian share of enrollment shrank from 24% to 12% over that span. Class-load math has tightened: from 14.2:1 in 2018 to 11.7:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.