Enrollment
875
Nevada · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sun Valley, NV
Desert Skies Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Skies Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 320048000932
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Skies Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nevada median.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- students per teacher
- 95.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 875
- students enrolled
Desert Skies Middle School has class sizes near the Nevada median. Computed live against every Nevada school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Washoe County School District · Nevada
NCES ID 320048000932 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 20.5:1 Nevada avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.6%
vs 76.8% Nevada avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Skies Middle School compares with Nevada and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Skies Middle School
Desert Skies Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Sun Valley, Nevada, enrolling 875 students.
At 19:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Nevada median, within a few percentage points of the 20.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 95.6% lands close to the Nevada typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 875 puts it in the larger third of Nevada schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 733 scored Nevada schools.
Among 199 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nevada schools statewide, it ranks #17, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (75%) and White (18%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 219 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Washoe County School District spends $10,957 per pupil, 33% below the Nevada average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 318 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 875 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Washoe County School District also operates North Valleys High School (2,307 students) and Spanish Springs High School (2,131 students) alongside Desert Skies 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 Skies Middle School compares
Desert Skies Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Nevada and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nevada | Nevada avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▼ 7% | 20.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.6% | ▲ 24% | 76.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 875 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
875
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Nevada average of 76.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 56% in Nevada - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.2%
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
$10,957
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nevada avg of $16,454
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 219 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
189
in-school suspensions + 129 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 75.0%
White 17.6%
Two or More 3.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.1%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.5, Desert Skies Middle School is less mixed than the Nevada school average of 56.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washoe County School District, which includes Desert Skies Middle School.
$10,957
Per student
-33%
vs Nevada
Avg $16,454
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 68.2%
Federal 12.0%
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 Skies Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Valleys High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spanish Springs High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edward C. Reed High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Procter R. Hug High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reno High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Skies Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,307
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 2,092
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,008
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nevada, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~875 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Skies Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Skies Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Washoe County School District'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 Skies Middle School
How many students attend Desert Skies Middle School?
Desert Skies Middle School has 875 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sun Valley, NV.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Skies Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Skies Middle School is 19:1, which is 7% lower than the Nevada average of 20.5:1 and 21% 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 Skies Middle School?
95.6% of students at Desert Skies Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nevada average of 76.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Skies Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Skies Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 75.0% of enrollment, in Sun Valley, NV.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Skies Middle School?
Desert Skies Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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).
Is Desert Skies Middle School a good school?
Desert Skies Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nevada 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 Washoe County School District?
Besides Desert Skies Middle School, Washoe County School District also operates North Valleys High School (2,307 students), Spanish Springs High School (2,131 students), and Edward C. Reed High School (2,092 students). See the Washoe County School District 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.