Enrollment
637
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Goodyear, AZ
Desert Star
Federal NCES profile for Desert Star, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040096002255
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 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 Star earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Arizona schools.
- #9 of 13
- schools in Goodyear · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.8:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 46.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Star has class sizes larger than 89% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Star ranks #9 of 13 schools in Goodyear, AZ.
School address
District: Avondale Elementary District (4272) · Arizona
NCES ID 040096002255 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Star compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Star
Desert Star is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Goodyear, Arizona, enrolling 637 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.8:1 is larger than about 89% of Arizona schools and 34% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 46.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 637 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 327 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #262, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and White (23%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 637 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Avondale Elementary District (4272) spends $9,503 per pupil, 28% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Goodyear's public schools, it stands alongside Belen Soto Elementary School (1,123 students): Desert Star is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.8:1 vs 25.5:1).
Avondale Elementary District (4272) also operates Copper Trails (1,020 students) and Desert Thunder (928 students) alongside Desert Star.
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 Star compares
Desert Star on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.8:1 | ▲ 34% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.9% | ▼ 3% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 637 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
637
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.8:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 89% in Arizona - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
44.0%
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
$9,503
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 637 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
71
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.6 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 59.5%
White 22.8%
African American 12.6%
Two or More 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.7, Desert Star is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Avondale Elementary District (4272), which includes Desert Star.
$9,503
Per student
-28%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 45.5%
Federal 15.7%
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 Star Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Trails | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert Thunder | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Michael Anderson | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wildflower Accelerated Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centerra Mirage Stem Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Star's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,020
- Students per teacher
- 28.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 834
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 27.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 28.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar other schools in Goodyear
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 (~637 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Star's federal record.
- Compare Desert Star against another school. Compare schools
- Avondale Elementary District (4272)'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 Star
How many students attend Desert Star?
Desert Star has 637 students enrolled. It is a public school in Goodyear, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Star?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Star is 22.8:1, which is 34% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Star?
46.9% of students at Desert Star are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Star?
The largest demographic group at Desert Star is Hispanic or Latino at 59.5% of enrollment, in Goodyear, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Star?
Desert Star has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Star rank among schools in Goodyear?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Star ranks #9 of 13 schools in Goodyear, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Goodyear on the city page.
Is Desert Star a good school?
Desert Star earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Avondale Elementary District (4272)?
Besides Desert Star, Avondale Elementary District (4272) also operates Copper Trails (1,020 students), Desert Thunder (928 students), and Michael Anderson (834 students). See the Avondale Elementary District (4272) 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.