Enrollment
906
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kennewick, WA
Desert Hills Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Hills Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530393000598
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 95
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Hills Middle School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Washington schools.
- #4 of 5
- middle schools in Kennewick · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.6:1
- large classes for Washington
- 24.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Hills Middle School has class sizes larger than 86% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Hills Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Kennewick, WA.
School address
District: Kennewick School District · Washington
NCES ID 530393000598 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Hills Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Hills Middle School
Desert Hills Middle School is a large middle school in Kennewick, Washington, enrolling 906 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.6:1 is larger than about 86% of Washington schools and 23% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 92% of state schools at 906 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 239 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #64.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 453 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Kennewick School District spends $14,867 per pupil, 24% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Kennewick's middle schools, it stands alongside Chinook Middle School (950 students): Desert Hills Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.6:1 vs 22.6:1).
Kennewick School District also operates Kamiakin High School (1,956 students) and Kennewick High School (1,921 students) alongside Desert Hills Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Desert Hills Middle School compares
Desert Hills Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.6:1 | ▲ 23% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.0% | ▼ 47% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 906 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
906
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 86% in Washington - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
2.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$14,867
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 453 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 74.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.3%
Two or More 6.1%
Asian 1.9%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 74.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.7, Desert Hills Middle School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kennewick School District, which includes Desert Hills Middle School.
$14,867
Per student
-24%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.1%
State 74.5%
Federal 12.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Desert Hills Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamiakin High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kennewick High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southridge High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chinook Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Amistad Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Hills Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,956
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,921
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,612
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 950
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Kennewick
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~906 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Hills Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Hills Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Kennewick School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Desert Hills Middle School
How many students attend Desert Hills Middle School?
Desert Hills Middle School has 906 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kennewick, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Hills Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Hills Middle School is 21.6:1, which is 23% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Hills Middle School?
24.0% of students at Desert Hills Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Hills Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Hills Middle School is White at 74.3% of enrollment, in Kennewick, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Hills Middle School?
Desert Hills Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Hills Middle School rank among middle schools in Kennewick?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Hills Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Kennewick, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Kennewick on the city page.
Is Desert Hills Middle School a good school?
Desert Hills Middle School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Washington schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Kennewick School District?
Besides Desert Hills Middle School, Kennewick School District also operates Kamiakin High School (1,956 students), Kennewick High School (1,921 students), and Southridge High School (1,612 students). See the Kennewick School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.