Enrollment
784
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Nogales, AZ
Desert Shadows Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Shadows Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040553001238
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Shadows Middle School earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Nogales · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.4:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 62.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Shadows Middle School has class sizes larger than 88% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Shadows Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Nogales, AZ.
School address
District: Nogales Unified District (4457) · Arizona
NCES ID 040553001238 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.4:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Shadows Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Shadows Middle School
Desert Shadows Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Nogales, Arizona, enrolling 784 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.4:1 is larger than about 88% of Arizona schools and 32% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 62.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 784 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 256 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #213, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 1/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 392 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Nogales Unified District (4457) spends $9,608 per pupil, 27% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Nogales Unified District (4457) also operates Nogales High School (1,774 students) and Wade Carpenter Middle School (547 students) alongside Desert Shadows Middle 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 Middle School compares
Desert Shadows Middle 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 | 22.4:1 | ▲ 32% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.9% | ▲ 30% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 784 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.4:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
784
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.4:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 88% in Arizona - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
36.1%
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
$9,608
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 392 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 99.4%
White 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
African American 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 99.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.2, Desert Shadows Middle School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nogales Unified District (4457), which includes Desert Shadows Middle School.
$9,608
Per student
-27%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.7%
State 56.8%
Federal 27.5%
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 Shadows Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nogales High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wade Carpenter Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mary L Welty Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Shadows Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 508
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 381
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar middle 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 (~784 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Shadows Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Shadows Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Nogales Unified District (4457)'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 Middle School
How many students attend Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School has 784 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Nogales, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Middle School is 22.4:1, which is 32% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Shadows Middle School?
62.9% of students at Desert Shadows Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Shadows Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Shadows Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 99.4% of enrollment, in Nogales, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Shadows Middle School rank among public schools in Nogales?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Shadows Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Nogales, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Nogales on the city page.
Is Desert Shadows Middle School a good school?
Desert Shadows Middle School earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Nogales Unified District (4457)?
Besides Desert Shadows Middle School, Nogales Unified District (4457) also operates Nogales High School (1,774 students), Wade Carpenter Middle School (547 students), and Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School (508 students). See the Nogales Unified District (4457) 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.