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Sunnyside USD reports district letter grade rise to B; staff outlines graduation-rate gains and equity work

Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board · September 29, 2025
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Summary

District staff told the board the Sunnyside Unified School District letter grade rose from a C to a B and reviewed four- and five-year graduation rates (district ~83%; Sunnyside High ~90%). Officials described targeted interventions, an early-warning dashboard, and a short appeal window for a school near a threshold.

District staff presented updates on state letter grades and graduation rates, reporting that the Sunnyside Unified School District’s overall letter grade has moved from a C to a B and highlighting school-level changes.

The presentation summarized where schools gained or lost points under the state model: several elementary schools improved (Elvira moved from B to A; Los Niños posted a double-digit gain), one middle school (Billy Lane Laufer) showed a notable growth of about 15%, and high schools held steady with Desert View around the upper 80s and Sunnyside High near 90% on four-year cohort graduation measures. Staff emphasized that alternative programs (STAR) show much higher five- and seven-year rates compared with four-year measures.

Presenters said the state will publish official letter grades on Nov. 1 and noted a short window for appeals; Challenger school is narrowly close to a threshold and could face labeling consequences if the state applies automatic rules for consecutive low grades. The district described work to reduce a male-female graduation gap, improve attendance, and roll out an early-warning dashboard that flags students by attendance, discipline, and course performance to target interventions earlier.

Board members praised the gains while stressing continued work: several members credit teachers and leaders for the improvements but emphasized that sustained progress will require continued focus on attendance, in-class interventions and supports for sophomores, a group staff identified as a point of higher failure risk. No formal vote was required or taken on the presentation.