Sunrise Drive Elementary School ranks as area's top elementary in U.S. News list

Sunrise Drive Elementary School earned the highest ranking of any Oro Valley or Catalina Foothills area school in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Elementary Schools list, placing No. 32 out of 810 ranked Arizona schools.

The K-5 school on East Sunrise Drive in the Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) scored 96.17 out of 100 in U.S. News' overall rating. Eighty percent of its students scored at or above the proficient level in reading, and 70% reached that mark in math, according to the school's U.S. News profile. Both figures topped the statewide averages of 35% in reading and 33% in math.

Sunrise Drive also outperformed its own district. CFSD's elementary average was 71% proficient in reading and 62% in math. The school's reading proficiency ranked No. 14 statewide, and U.S. News rated both its reading and math performance as "well above expectations."

The school enrolls 469 students with a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio and 31 full-time teachers. According to the school's website, Sunrise Drive is home to CFSD's Mandarin immersion program and holds both National Blue Ribbon School and A+ School of Excellence designations.

Principal Andrea Davidson, in a message on the school's website, described Sunrise Drive as a place where students apply learning through real-world experiences. The school offers lunchtime clubs including Lego Club, Garden Club, Yoga Club and Steppers, a walking and jogging club, according to Davidson's message.

Other local schools

Two other area schools landed in the top 40 statewide.

Painted Sky Elementary School in Oro Valley, part of Amphitheater Unified District, ranked No. 37 with an overall score of 95.55. Seventy-four percent of its 416 students scored proficient or above in math, and 73% did so in reading. Both marks far exceeded the Amphitheater district averages of 41% in math and 37% in reading.

Ventana Vista Elementary School, also in CFSD, ranked No. 38 with a score of 95.43. Its reading proficiency rate was 77%, and 59% of students reached proficiency in math.

The Innovation Academy, another Amphitheater district school in Oro Valley, ranked No. 51 with a score of 93.82. Seventy-five percent of its students were proficient in math, and 77% were proficient in reading.

How the rankings work

U.S. News ranked nearly 47,000 elementary schools nationwide, according to its methodology article published Oct. 20. The formula weights four factors equally at 25% each: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance. Half of the formula assessed raw scores, and the other half factored in socioeconomic demographics. Only public schools that participate in statewide assessments were eligible.