Enrollment
743
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tucson, 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 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040885002194
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 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 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools.
- #22 of 25
- middle schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 19.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Sky Middle School has class sizes larger than 74% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sky Middle School ranks #22 of 25 middle schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Vail Unified District (4413) · Arizona
NCES ID 040885002194 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-59% 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 lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 743 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 19.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 743 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 278 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #226, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (39%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 743 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Vail Unified District (4413) spends $9,396 per pupil, 29% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Tucson's middle schools, it stands alongside Apollo Middle School (480 students): Desert Sky Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 14.1:1).
Vail Unified District (4413) also operates Cienega High School (1,881 students) and Mica Mountain High (1,319 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 15% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.9% | ▼ 59% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 743 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
743
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 74% in Arizona - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
46.8%
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
$9,396
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 743 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 44.1%
White 38.8%
Two or More 9.0%
African American 4.3%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.4, 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 Vail Unified District (4413), which includes Desert Sky Middle School.
$9,396
Per student
-29%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 54.2%
Federal 10.0%
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 Sky Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cienega High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mica Mountain High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Empire High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andrada Polytechnic High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Old Vail Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 1,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,319
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 836
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar middle schools in Tucson
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~743 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Sky Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Sky Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Vail Unified District (4413)'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 743 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sky Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sky Middle School is 19.6:1, which is 15% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Sky Middle School?
19.9% 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 Hispanic or Latino at 44.1% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Sky Middle School?
Desert Sky Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 middle schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sky Middle School ranks #22 of 25 middle schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Desert Sky Middle School a good school?
Desert Sky Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Vail Unified District (4413)?
Besides Desert Sky Middle School, Vail Unified District (4413) also operates Cienega High School (1,881 students), Mica Mountain High (1,319 students), and Empire High School (886 students). See the Vail Unified District (4413) 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.