Enrollment
594
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Glendale, AZ
Desert Sage Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Sage Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040775001563
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Sage Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Arizona schools.
- #7 of 46
- schools in Glendale · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 17.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Sage Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sage Elementary School ranks #7 of 46 schools in Glendale, AZ.
School address
District: Deer Valley Unified District (4246) · Arizona
NCES ID 040775001563 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Sage Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Sage Elementary School
Desert Sage Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Glendale, Arizona, enrolling 594 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.9% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Arizona average.
Enrollment of 594 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.
Against 261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #44.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Deer Valley Unified District (4246) spends $9,561 per pupil, 27% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Glendale's public schools, it stands alongside Sandra Day O'connor High School (2,658 students): Desert Sage Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 25.6:1).
Deer Valley Unified District (4246) also operates Mountain Ridge High School (2,823 students) and Sandra Day O'connor High School (2,658 students) alongside Desert Sage 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 Sage Elementary School compares
Desert Sage Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▼ 19% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.9% | ▼ 63% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 594 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
594
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 26% in Arizona - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.3%
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
$9,561
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 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 63.1%
Hispanic or Latino 23.6%
Two or More 7.6%
Asian 2.7%
African American 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 63.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Desert Sage 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 Deer Valley Unified District (4246), which includes Desert Sage Elementary School.
$9,561
Per student
-27%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.9%
State 38.6%
Federal 12.6%
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 Sage Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sandra Day O'connor High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boulder Creek High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Deer Valley High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Barry Goldwater High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Sage Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,823
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,658
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 2,221
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,707
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,602
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Glendale
1 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.
Similar enrollment (~594 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Sage Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Sage Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Deer Valley Unified District (4246)'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 Sage Elementary School
How many students attend Desert Sage Elementary School?
Desert Sage Elementary School has 594 students enrolled. It is a public school in Glendale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sage Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sage Elementary School is 13.8:1, which is 19% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 12% lower 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 Sage Elementary School?
17.9% of students at Desert Sage Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Sage Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Sage Elementary School is White at 63.1% of enrollment, in Glendale, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Sage Elementary School?
Desert Sage Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Sage Elementary School rank among schools in Glendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sage Elementary School ranks #7 of 46 schools in Glendale, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Glendale on the city page.
Is Desert Sage Elementary School a good school?
Desert Sage Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Arizona 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 Deer Valley Unified District (4246)?
Besides Desert Sage Elementary School, Deer Valley Unified District (4246) also operates Mountain Ridge High School (2,823 students), Sandra Day O'connor High School (2,658 students), and Boulder Creek High School (2,221 students). See the Deer Valley Unified District (4246) 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.