Enrollment
477
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Boise, ID
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 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160210000901
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Sage Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Idaho schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Idaho schools.
- #30 of 65
- schools in Boise · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- small classes for Idaho
- 41.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Sage Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sage Elementary School ranks #30 of 65 schools in Boise, ID.
School address
District: Joint School District No. 2 · Idaho
NCES ID 160210000901 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.0%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Sage Elementary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Sage Elementary School
Desert Sage Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Boise, Idaho, enrolling 477 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 41.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 477 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 775 scored Idaho schools.
Against 148 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 468 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Joint School District No. 2 spends $8,438 per pupil, 29% below the Idaho average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Joint School District No. 2 also operates Mountain View High School (2,463 students) and Owyhee High School (1,884 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 Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 26% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.0% | ▲ 40% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 477 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
477
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% above the Idaho average of 29.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 18% in Idaho - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$8,438
per pupil, district-wide
- below Idaho avg of $11,939
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 468 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.5 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 48.2%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
African American 18.2%
Asian 5.9%
Two or More 5.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Desert Sage Elementary School is more mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joint School District No. 2, which includes Desert Sage Elementary School.
$8,438
Per student
-29%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 63.9%
Federal 14.1%
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 View High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Owyhee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rocky Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meridian High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eagle High School | Larger | Lower 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
- 2,463
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,884
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,848
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,765
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~477 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Sage Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Sage Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Joint School District No. 2'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 477 students enrolled. It is a public school in Boise, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sage Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sage Elementary School is 12.6:1, which is 26% lower than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 20% 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?
41.0% of students at Desert Sage Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Sage Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Sage Elementary School is White at 48.2% of enrollment, in Boise, ID. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Sage Elementary School?
Desert Sage Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Sage Elementary School rank among schools in Boise?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sage Elementary School ranks #30 of 65 schools in Boise, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Boise on the city page.
Is Desert Sage Elementary School a good school?
Desert Sage Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Idaho schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Idaho 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 Joint School District No. 2?
Besides Desert Sage Elementary School, Joint School District No. 2 also operates Mountain View High School (2,463 students), Owyhee High School (1,884 students), and Rocky Mountain High School (1,848 students). See the Joint School District No. 2 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.