Enrollment
686
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Nampa, ID
Desert Springs Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Springs Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160060000935
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Springs Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Idaho schools.
- #11 of 26
- schools in Nampa · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Idaho
- 31.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Springs Elementary School has class sizes larger than 77% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Springs Elementary School ranks #11 of 26 schools in Nampa, ID.
School address
District: Vallivue School District · Idaho
NCES ID 160060000935 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.6%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Springs Elementary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Springs Elementary School
Desert Springs Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Nampa, Idaho, enrolling 686 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 31.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 686 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 775 scored Idaho schools.
Against 149 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #87.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (44%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 686 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Vallivue School District spends $8,968 per pupil, 25% below the Idaho average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Vallivue School District also operates Ridgevue High School (1,640 students) and Vallivue High School (1,252 students) alongside Desert Springs Elementary 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 Springs Elementary School compares
Desert Springs Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.6:1 | ▲ 15% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.6% | ▲ 8% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 686 | top 12% | - | - |
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.
686
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% above the Idaho average of 29.3%
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 77% in Idaho - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$8,968
per pupil, district-wide
- below Idaho avg of $11,939
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 686 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 50.0%
Hispanic or Latino 43.7%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.8, Desert Springs Elementary School is more mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vallivue School District, which includes Desert Springs Elementary School.
$8,968
Per student
-25%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-46%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.5%
State 61.6%
Federal 16.9%
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 Springs Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgevue High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vallivue High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakevue Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sage Valley Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Summitvue Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Springs Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,640
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 836
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~686 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Springs Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Springs Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Vallivue 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 Springs Elementary School
How many students attend Desert Springs Elementary School?
Desert Springs Elementary School has 686 students enrolled. It is a public school in Nampa, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Springs Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Springs Elementary School is 19.6:1, which is 15% higher than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Springs Elementary School?
31.6% of students at Desert Springs Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Springs Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Springs Elementary School is White at 50.0% of enrollment, in Nampa, ID. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Springs Elementary School?
Desert Springs Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Springs Elementary School rank among schools in Nampa?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Springs Elementary School ranks #11 of 26 schools in Nampa, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Nampa on the city page.
Is Desert Springs Elementary School a good school?
Desert Springs Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Idaho 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 Vallivue School District?
Besides Desert Springs Elementary School, Vallivue School District also operates Ridgevue High School (1,640 students), Vallivue High School (1,252 students), and Lakevue Elementary School (915 students). See the Vallivue 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.