Is Imagine Desert West Elementary a good school?

Imagine Desert West Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.0% of Arizona elementary schools.

How many students attend Imagine Desert West Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 694 students attended Imagine Desert West Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Imagine Desert West Elementary?

Students at Imagine Desert West Elementary are 89% Hispanic, 9% African American, 1% White.

Imagine Desert West Elementary

Summary:

Imagine Desert West Elementary is a public charter elementary school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving 694 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West Inc. district, which is ranked 287 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Imagine Desert West Elementary consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Arizona, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics ranging from 9% to 25%, compared to state averages of 33% to 46%. The school struggles to support the academic achievement of various student subgroups, including female students, male students, Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with these groups consistently ranking in the bottom 10-20% of Arizona elementary schools. Despite relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $9,017 to $17,814 per student, the school's academic outcomes remain significantly below the state and district averages.

Interestingly, the nearby public schools, such as Charles W. Harris School, Manuel Pena Junior School, and Peralta School, generally perform better academically than Imagine Desert West Elementary, with higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as higher overall school rankings. The nearby public schools also have higher student-teacher ratios and lower percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch compared to Imagine Desert West Elementary.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-5

6738 W McDowell Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85035-4642

(623) 344-7150

District: Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West Inc.

SchoolDigger Rank:
895^th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Student/teacher ratio: n/a

Number of students: 694

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.9%

African American:

8.6%

White:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91.8%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Imagine Desert West Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Imagine Desert West Elementary ranks worse than 99% of elementary schools in Arizona. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.5. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (88.9%), African American (8.6%), White (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Imagine Desert West Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Imagine Desert West Elementary 895^th of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Imagine Desert West Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West Inc.:

SchoolDigger ranks Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West Inc. 287^th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Imagine Desert West Elementary?

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Rank History for Imagine Desert West Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2009	26.59	837^th	1062	21.2%
2010	29.25	820^th	1090	24.8%
2011	54.25	479^th	1075	55.4%
2012	46.90	631^st	1141	44.7%
2013	57.30	485^th	1158	58.1%
2014	52.24	522^nd	1079	51.6%
2015	19.85	777^th	955	18.6%
2016	22.30	850^th	1079	21.2%
2017	20.48	904^th	1106	18.3%
2018	17.04	959^th	1109	13.5%
2019	7.31	1022^nd	1039	1.6%
2021	14.29	1133^rd	1226	7.6%
2022	7.10	973^rd	1000	2.7%
2023	15.50	1101^st	1245	11.6%
2024	6.50	895^th	904	1.0%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	38.86	826^th	975	15.3%
2023	15.27	445^th	451	1.3%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	18.62	396^th	417	5.0%
2021	36.88	715^th	1201	40.5%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2022	10.32	610^th	618	1.3%
2023	22.10	940^th	1116	15.8%
2024	8.61	539^th	546	1.3%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	58.00	82^nd	423	80.6%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	21.81	827^th	1023	19.2%
2019	4.15	854^th	862	0.9%
2021	13.78	1150^th	1219	5.7%
2023	10.38	1189^th	1219	2.5%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	29.43	265^th	306	13.4%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	6.71	143^rd	145	1.4%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	16.58	907^th	1032	12.1%
2019	4.68	844^th	850	0.7%
2021	16.85	1091^st	1220	10.6%
2023	20.68	987^th	1216	18.8%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	26.89	758^th	895	15.3%
2023	36.43	401^st	607	33.9%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	24.96	730^th	911	19.9%
2019	8.53	700^th	709	1.3%
2021	18.73	1092^nd	1198	8.8%
2022	9.52	711^th	716	0.7%
2023	16.71	1077^th	1170	7.9%
2024	8.02	467^th	472	1.1%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	28.47	530^th	654	19.0%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	40.72	711^th	1161	38.8%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Imagine Desert West Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	22	50	2	283	9	n/a	n/a	366
2008	25	47	3	430	14	n/a	n/a	519
2009	20	36	3	497	8	n/a	n/a	564
2010	13	31	2	511	4	n/a	n/a	561
2011	15	35	0	597	4	0	1	652
2012	13	49	0	685	5	0	1	753
2013	13	31	0	714	7	0	0	765
2014	20	25	0	766	8	2	1	822
2015	14	24	0	777	4	1	0	820
2016	13	20	1	710	4	1	0	749
2017	23	20	1	743	4	0	1	792
2018	21	18	1	747	4	0	1	792
2019	20	40	0	805	5	0	4	874
2020	16	45	0	817	3	0	10	891
2021	20	33	0	668	5	0	3	729
2022	12	58	0	645	2	0	4	721
2023	10	60	0	617	1	1	5	694

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	366	n/a	n/a	n/a
2008	519	n/a	n/a	83.8
2009	564	n/a	n/a	80.1
2010	561	n/a	n/a	82.7
2011	652	n/a	n/a	72.7
2012	753	n/a	n/a	81.9
2013	765	n/a	n/a	87.7
2014	822	n/a	n/a	99.6
2015	820	n/a	n/a	0
2016	749	n/a	n/a	99.6
2017	792	n/a	n/a	99.6
2018	792	n/a	n/a	91.9
2019	874	n/a	n/a	91.9
2020	891	n/a	n/a	91.9
2021	729	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	721	n/a	n/a	91.8
2023	694	n/a	n/a	91.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Imagine Desert West Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	366	n/a	n/a	n/a
2008	519	n/a	n/a	83.8
2009	564	n/a	n/a	80.1
2010	561	n/a	n/a	82.7
2011	652	n/a	n/a	72.7
2012	753	n/a	n/a	81.9
2013	765	n/a	n/a	87.7
2014	822	n/a	n/a	99.6
2015	820	n/a	n/a	0
2016	749	n/a	n/a	99.6
2017	792	n/a	n/a	99.6
2018	792	n/a	n/a	91.9
2019	874	n/a	n/a	91.9
2020	891	n/a	n/a	91.9
2021	729	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	721	n/a	n/a	91.8
2023	694	n/a	n/a	91.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Imagine Desert West Elementary

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$727 (8.1%)	$922 (10.2%)	$2,376 (26.4%)	$4,327 (48.0%)	$3,041 (33.7%)	$7,368 (81.7%)	$9,017
2020	$1,297 (7.3%)	$919 (5.2%)	$3,513 (19.7%)	$8,716 (48.9%)	$6,882 (38.6%)	$15,598 (87.6%)	$17,814

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Imagine Desert West Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1022^nd of 1039 Elementary schools	Ranks 1101^st of 1245 Elementary schools	9.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	874	694	20.6%
African American	40	60	50%
American Indian	5	1	80%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	805	617	23.4%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	20	10	50%
Two or More Races	4	5	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.9%	91.8%	0.1%

Schools Near Imagine Desert West Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				AASA English Language Arts (2024)						AASA Mathematics (2024)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Imagine Desert West Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	6738 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 344-7150	694			91.8%	10 (1.4%)	60 (8.6%)	617 (88.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.7%)	6.5	895^th of 904 public elementary schools	1.0%		15.5	1101^st of 1245 public elementary schools	11.6%	206		19.0	9.0					11.0	20.0					$00			$00
Palm Lane	Public	PK, KG-8	2043 N 64th Dr	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5500	638	29	22.0	77.9%	19 (3.0%)	33 (5.2%)	575 (90.1%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	11	850^th of 904 public elementary schools	6.0%		20.9	984^th of 1245 public elementary schools	21.0%	134	20.0	27.0	26.0	21.0				14.0		14.0			$13,895	$4,401	$578	$9,380	$7,377	$1,539	$8,916
Peralta School	Public	PK, KG-6	7125 W Encanto Blvd	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5600	871	35	24.8	78.0%	13 (1.5%)	43 (4.9%)	792 (90.9%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	17 (2.0%)	9.6	867^th of 904 public elementary schools	4.1%		27.3	865^th of 1245 public elementary schools	30.5%	2		25.0	20.0	16.0				16.0	17.0	18.0			$11,898	$3,564	$391	$7,520	$6,692	$1,251	$7,943
Sunridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6244 W Roosevelt St	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-4600	349	21	16.6	63.6%	9 (2.6%)	40 (11.5%)	293 (84.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)								(n/a)		13.0	17.0											$00			$00
Fowler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6707 W Van Buren St	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-2500	407	21	19.3	84.8%	13 (3.2%)	24 (5.9%)	356 (87.5%)	7 (1.7%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	20.9	683^rd of 904 public elementary schools	24.4%		17.3	1064^th of 1245 public elementary schools	14.5%	381	28.0	21.0					40.0							$00			$00
Academy of Math and Science Desert Sky	Public, Charter	K-8	5757 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 888-1732	1,294			62.9%	40 (3.1%)	60 (4.6%)	1,176 (90.9%)	9 (0.7%)	8 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	25.3	622^nd of 904 public elementary schools	31.2%		38	707^th of 1245 public elementary schools	43.2%	85	29.0	38.0	32.0	31.0	30.0	29.0	49.0	27.0	17.0	22.0	15.0	22.0	$8,122	$1,395	$1,678	$4,468	$3,255	$1,795	$5,049
G. Frank Davidson	Public	PK, KG-6	6935 W Osborn Rd	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-1500	740	31	23.8	83.0%	11 (1.5%)	34 (4.6%)	679 (91.8%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.9%)	4.8	904^th of 904 public elementary schools	0.0%		11.1	1198^th of 1245 public elementary schools	3.8%	294			12.0	17.0			11.0						$12,193	$3,553	$396	$7,502	$6,801	$1,443	$8,244
Cartwright School	Public	PK, KG-8	2825 N 59th Ave	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-4100	754	32	23.5	60.9%	8 (1.1%)	29 (3.8%)	697 (92.4%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.3%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)								(n/a)							18.0						$12,454	$3,677	$473	$7,828	$6,607	$1,696	$8,304
Sunset School	Public	PK, KG-6	6602 W Osborn Rd	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-4600	727	32	23.0	69.7%	19 (2.6%)	46 (6.3%)	644 (88.6%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (1.5%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	34.5	531^st of 904 public elementary schools	41.3%		51.6	527^th of 1245 public elementary schools	57.7%	4	25.0	40.0	22.0	35.0			47.0	42.0	34.0	41.0			$13,442	$3,851	$440	$8,142	$7,689	$1,461	$9,151
Charles W. Harris School	Public	PK, KG-8	2252 N 55th Ave	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-4800	931	40	23.5	83.9%	20 (2.1%)	21 (2.3%)	879 (94.4%)	5 (0.5%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	11.1	847^th of 904 public elementary schools	6.3%		17.9	1051^st of 1245 public elementary schools	15.6%	204	21.0	32.0	16.0	15.0	28.0	14.0	21.0	24.0	14.0	19.0	14.0	16.0	$11,630	$3,159	$378	$6,695	$6,653	$1,440	$8,093

Imagine Desert West Elementary

Imagine Desert West Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West Inc.:

What do you think?

Rank History for Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for all students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Homeless students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Foster Care students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Military Connected students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for Native American students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rank History for White students at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Enrollment information for Imagine Desert West Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Imagine Desert West Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Imagine Desert West Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Imagine Desert West Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Imagine Desert West Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Imagine Desert West Elementary

Rate Imagine Desert West Elementary!

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