Enrollment
682
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Queen Creek, AZ
Desert Mountain Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Desert Mountain Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040681001232
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Mountain Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #10 of 14
- schools in Queen Creek · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 13.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Mountain Elementary has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Mountain Elementary ranks #10 of 14 schools in Queen Creek, AZ.
School address
District: Queen Creek Unified District (4245) · Arizona
NCES ID 040681001232 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Mountain Elementary compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Mountain Elementary
Desert Mountain Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Queen Creek, Arizona, enrolling 682 students.
At 16.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.0% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the Arizona average.
Enrollment of 682 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 233 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #179, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 682 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Queen Creek Unified District (4245) spends $8,699 per pupil, 34% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Queen Creek's public schools, it stands alongside Crismon High School (2,009 students): Desert Mountain Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 44.6:1).
Queen Creek Unified District (4245) also operates Crismon High School (2,009 students) and Queen Creek High School (1,968 students) alongside Desert Mountain Elementary.
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 Mountain Elementary compares
Desert Mountain Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▼ 2% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.0% | ▼ 73% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 682 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
682
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 51% in Arizona - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$8,699
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 682 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 63.6%
Hispanic or Latino 23.6%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 2.9%
African American 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 63.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.4, Desert Mountain Elementary is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Queen Creek Unified District (4245), which includes Desert Mountain Elementary.
$8,699
Per student
-34%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-48%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 62.2%
Federal 7.5%
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 Mountain Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crismon High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Queen Creek High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastmark High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Silver Valley Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Mountain Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,009
- Students per teacher
- 44.6:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 1,968
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Queen Creek
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Crismon High School
Standard public school
2,009 students 44.6:1 students per teacher
Heritage Academy Gateway
Standard public school
1,556 students
Benjamin Franklin High School
Standard public school
1,324 students
Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary School
Standard public school
1,153 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary
Standard public school
908 students 29.3:1 students per teacher
Frances Brandon-Pickett Elementary
Standard public school
642 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~682 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Mountain Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Desert Mountain Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Queen Creek Unified District (4245)'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 Mountain Elementary
How many students attend Desert Mountain Elementary?
Desert Mountain Elementary has 682 students enrolled. It is a public school in Queen Creek, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Mountain Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Mountain Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 2% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Mountain Elementary?
13.0% of students at Desert Mountain Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Mountain Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Desert Mountain Elementary is White at 63.6% of enrollment, in Queen Creek, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Mountain Elementary?
Desert Mountain Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 Mountain Elementary rank among schools in Queen Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Mountain Elementary ranks #10 of 14 schools in Queen Creek, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Queen Creek on the city page.
Is Desert Mountain Elementary a good school?
Desert Mountain Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Queen Creek Unified District (4245)?
Besides Desert Mountain Elementary, Queen Creek Unified District (4245) also operates Crismon High School (2,009 students), Queen Creek High School (1,968 students), and Eastmark High School (1,889 students). See the Queen Creek Unified District (4245) 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.