Enrollment
554
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Scottsdale, AZ
Desert Shadows Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Shadows Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040593000478
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Shadows Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #21 of 26
- schools in Scottsdale · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 11.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Shadows Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Shadows Elementary School ranks #21 of 26 schools in Scottsdale, AZ.
School address
District: Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) · Arizona
NCES ID 040593000478 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Shadows Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Shadows Elementary School
Desert Shadows Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Scottsdale, Arizona, enrolling 554 students.
At 16.3:1, 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, 11.0% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the Arizona average.
Enrollment of 554 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 185 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #90.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 554 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Among Scottsdale's public schools, it stands alongside Cactus Shadows High School (1,362 students): Desert Shadows Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.3:1 vs 17.9:1).
Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students) and Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students) alongside Desert Shadows 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 Shadows Elementary School compares
Desert Shadows 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 | 16.3:1 | ▼ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.0% | ▼ 77% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 554 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
554
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 48% in Arizona - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,154
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 554 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 67.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
Two or More 7.4%
Asian 3.2%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 67.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Desert Shadows 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 Paradise Valley Unified District (4241), which includes Desert Shadows Elementary School.
$11,154
Per student
-15%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.8%
State 27.3%
Federal 14.9%
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 Shadows Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinnacle High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paradise Valley High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Canyon High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shadow Mountain High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Shadows Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,430
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,767
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,560
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Scottsdale
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cactus Shadows High School
Standard public school
1,362 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Great Hearts Academies - Scottsdale Prep
Standard public school
898 students
Desert Sun Academy
Standard public school
191 students 8:1 students per teacher
Scottsdale Online Learning
Standard public school
141 students 5.9:1 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 (~554 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Shadows Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Shadows Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)'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 Shadows Elementary School
How many students attend Desert Shadows Elementary School?
Desert Shadows Elementary School has 554 students enrolled. It is a public school in Scottsdale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Elementary School is 16.3:1, which is 4% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 4% 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 Shadows Elementary School?
11.0% of students at Desert Shadows Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Shadows Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Shadows Elementary School is White at 67.9% of enrollment, in Scottsdale, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Shadows Elementary School?
Desert Shadows Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Shadows Elementary School rank among schools in Scottsdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Shadows Elementary School ranks #21 of 26 schools in Scottsdale, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Scottsdale on the city page.
Is Desert Shadows Elementary School a good school?
Desert Shadows Elementary School earns 35/100 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 Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)?
Besides Desert Shadows Elementary School, Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students), Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students), and Horizon High School (1,767 students). See the Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) 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.