Enrollment
753
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Surprise, AZ
Desert Oasis Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Oasis Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040546002875
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Oasis Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data.
- #4 of 14
- schools in Surprise · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 29.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 753
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Oasis Elementary School ranks #4 of 14 schools in Surprise, AZ.
School address
District: Nadaburg Unified School District (4252) · Arizona
NCES ID 040546002875 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
29.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-38% vs state
What stands out at Desert Oasis Elementary School
Desert Oasis Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Surprise, Arizona, enrolling 753 students.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 753 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 264 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #26, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 753 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Surprise's public schools, it stands alongside American Leadership Academy West Foothills K-12 (2,276 students): Desert Oasis Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Nadaburg Unified School District (4252) also operates Nadaburg Elementary School (502 students) and Mountainside High School (378 students) alongside Desert Oasis Elementary 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 Oasis Elementary School compares
Desert Oasis Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.9% | ▼ 38% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 753 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
753
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Engagement
16.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,232
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 753 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 55.4%
Hispanic or Latino 34.1%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 55.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.4, Desert Oasis Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nadaburg Unified School District (4252), which includes Desert Oasis Elementary School.
$12,232
Per student
-7%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.9%
State 46.7%
Federal 16.3%
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 Oasis Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nadaburg Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| Mountainside High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Nadaburg Online Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Oasis Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 8
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Surprise
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Oasis Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Oasis Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Nadaburg Unified School District (4252)'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 Oasis Elementary School
How many students attend Desert Oasis Elementary School?
Desert Oasis Elementary School has 753 students enrolled. It is a public school in Surprise, AZ.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Oasis Elementary School?
29.9% of students at Desert Oasis Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Oasis Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Oasis Elementary School is White at 55.4% of enrollment, in Surprise, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Oasis Elementary School?
Desert Oasis Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Oasis Elementary School rank among schools in Surprise?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Oasis Elementary School ranks #4 of 14 schools in Surprise, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Surprise on the city page.
Is Desert Oasis Elementary School a good school?
Desert Oasis Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. 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 Nadaburg Unified School District (4252)?
Besides Desert Oasis Elementary School, Nadaburg Unified School District (4252) also operates Nadaburg Elementary School (502 students), Mountainside High School (378 students), and Nadaburg Online Virtual Academy (8 students). See the Nadaburg Unified School District (4252) 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.