Enrollment
640
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Glendale, AZ
Desert Sky Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Sky Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040775001147
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Sky Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Arizona schools.
- #68 of 80
- public schools in Glendale · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Sky Middle School has class sizes larger than 83% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sky Middle School ranks #68 of 80 public schools in Glendale, AZ.
School address
District: Deer Valley Unified District (4246) · Arizona
NCES ID 040775001147 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Sky Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Sky Middle School
Desert Sky Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Glendale, Arizona, enrolling 640 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 640 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.
Against 299 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #185.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 427 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.2% 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.
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 Sky 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 Sky Middle School compares
Desert Sky 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 | 21.3:1 | ▲ 25% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▼ 24% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 640 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
640
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 83% in Arizona - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
50.2%
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
$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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 427 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.3 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 52.0%
Hispanic or Latino 36.6%
Two or More 4.8%
African American 4.4%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Desert Sky Middle 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 Sky Middle 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 Sky Middle 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boulder Creek High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Deer Valley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Barry Goldwater High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Sky Middle 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 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 (~640 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Sky Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Sky Middle 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 Sky Middle School
How many students attend Desert Sky Middle School?
Desert Sky Middle School has 640 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Glendale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sky Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sky Middle School is 21.3:1, which is 25% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Sky Middle School?
36.9% of students at Desert Sky Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Sky Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Sky Middle School is White at 52.0% of enrollment, in Glendale, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Sky Middle School?
Desert Sky Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Sky Middle School rank among public schools in Glendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sky Middle School ranks #68 of 80 public 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 public schools in Glendale on the city page.
Is Desert Sky Middle School a good school?
Desert Sky Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Sky Middle 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.