Enrollment
682
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Glendale, AZ
Desert Spirit
Federal NCES profile for Desert Spirit, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040342002281
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Spirit earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Arizona schools.
- #41 of 46
- schools in Glendale · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 73.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Spirit has class sizes larger than 86% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Spirit ranks #41 of 46 schools in Glendale, AZ.
School address
District: Glendale Elementary District (4271) · Arizona
NCES ID 040342002281 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Spirit compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Spirit
Desert Spirit is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Glendale, Arizona, enrolling 682 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22:1 is larger than about 86% of Arizona schools and 29% 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 73.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 682 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 253 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #119.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 40/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 62.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Glendale Elementary District (4271) spends $9,522 per pupil, 28% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 35.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Glendale's public schools, it stands alongside Sandra Day O'connor High School (2,658 students): Desert Spirit is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22:1 vs 25.6:1).
Glendale Elementary District (4271) also operates Horizon School (856 students) and Challenger Middle School (839 students) alongside Desert Spirit.
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 Spirit compares
Desert Spirit on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22:1 | ▲ 29% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.0% | ▲ 51% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 682 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
682
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
22:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 86% in Arizona - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
62.2%
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
$9,522
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.2 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 76.7%
African American 8.8%
White 6.3%
Asian 3.7%
Two or More 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.8, Desert Spirit is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Glendale Elementary District (4271), which includes Desert Spirit.
$9,522
Per student
-28%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.2%
State 46.6%
Federal 35.2%
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 Spirit Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Challenger Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William C Jack School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bicentennial South School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harold W Smith School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Spirit's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 856
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 839
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar other schools in Glendale
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~682 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Spirit's federal record.
- Compare Desert Spirit against another school. Compare schools
- Glendale Elementary District (4271)'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 Spirit
How many students attend Desert Spirit?
Desert Spirit has 682 students enrolled. It is a public school in Glendale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Spirit?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Spirit is 22:1, which is 29% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Spirit?
73.0% of students at Desert Spirit are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Spirit?
The largest demographic group at Desert Spirit is Hispanic or Latino at 76.7% of enrollment, in Glendale, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Spirit?
Desert Spirit has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Spirit rank among schools in Glendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Spirit ranks #41 of 46 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 schools in Glendale on the city page.
Is Desert Spirit a good school?
Desert Spirit earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Glendale Elementary District (4271)?
Besides Desert Spirit, Glendale Elementary District (4271) also operates Horizon School (856 students), Challenger Middle School (839 students), and William C Jack School (811 students). See the Glendale Elementary District (4271) 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.