Desert Horizon Elementary School

Summary:

Desert Horizon Elementary School is a public school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving 732 students in grades PK-8. The school is part of the Pendergast Elementary District, which is ranked 233 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Desert Horizon consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Arizona elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics well below the state and district averages across all grade levels. The school struggles with the academic performance of several student subgroups, with rankings for Hispanic, African American, and low socioeconomic status students in the bottom 10-20% of Arizona elementary schools. However, the school performs better with its Native American and English Language Learner students, ranking in the top 50% for these subgroups. Additionally, Desert Horizon has seen a concerning increase in its dropout rate, rising from 0% in 2017-2018 to 2.8% in 2021-2022.

Interestingly, the nearby Legacy Traditional School - North Phoenix and the Legacy Traditional School - North Phoenix district perform better on academic measures, suggesting that school governance and district leadership may play a role in student outcomes. Additionally, the ACCLAIM Academy and the ACCLAIM Charter School, as well as the Sheely Farms Elementary School and Desert Oasis Elementary School in the Tolleson Elementary District, also perform better academically than Desert Horizon.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

 8525 W Osborn Rd
       Phoenix, AZ  85037-2738


(623) 772-2430

District: Pendergast Elementary District

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,537 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  21.4 Help
Number of students:  729

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
83.3%
African American:
7.5%
White:
5.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  76.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Desert Horizon Elementary School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.31. (See more...)
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Compare Details Desert Horizon Elementary School ranks worse than 95.8% of middle schools in Arizona. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.84. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (83.3%), African American (7.5%), White (5.3%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Horizon Elementary School is 21.4, which is the highest among 12 elementary schools in the Pendergast Elementary District! (See more...)
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Compare Desert Horizon Elementary School employs 34 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Horizon Elementary School is $6,537, which is the 4th highest among 9 elementary schools in the Pendergast Elementary District.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Desert Horizon Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Horizon Elementary School 527th of 550 Arizona public middle schools. (See Desert Horizon Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Pendergast Elementary District:

SchoolDigger ranks Pendergast Elementary District 244th of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Desert Horizon Elementary School?

Rank History for Desert Horizon Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 34.69 725th 1062 31.7%
2010 32.56 779th 1090 28.5%
2011 36.76 704th 1075 34.5%
2012 28.80 912th 1141 20.1%
2013 34.00 845th 1158 27.0%
2014 28.61 807th 1079 25.2%
2015 19.43 784th 955 17.9%
2016 17.69 926th 1079 14.2%
2017 9.03 1076th 1106 2.7%
2018 9.88 1066th 1109 3.9%
2019 11.86 959th 1039 7.7%
2021 16.96 1062nd 1226 13.4%
2022 12.37 895th 1000 10.5%
2023 13.31 1154th 1245 7.3%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 27.89 814th 1027 20.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.37 73rd 155 52.9%
2021 39.29 545th 975 44.1%
2023 18.22 416th 451 7.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.57 301st 417 27.8%
2021 27.51 974th 1201 18.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.75 774th 820 5.6%
2023 16.65 1035th 1116 7.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.27 964th 1023 5.8%
2019 10.37 802nd 862 7.0%
2021 17.78 1065th 1219 12.6%
2023 12.54 1157th 1219 5.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.07 985th 1032 4.6%
2019 8.09 822nd 850 3.3%
2021 18.00 1067th 1220 12.5%
2023 13.70 1131st 1216 7.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Asian students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 46.85 385th 620 37.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 21.88 871st 895 2.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.01 876th 911 3.8%
2019 13.26 667th 709 5.9%
2021 21.81 1027th 1198 14.3%
2022 13.63 674th 716 5.9%
2023 15.15 1104th 1170 5.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school Native American students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 53.02 180th 654 72.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 8.97 1114th 1161 4.0%
2023 13.57 957th 1024 6.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for Desert Horizon Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 33.76 463rd 663 30.2%
2010 28.43 543rd 692 21.5%
2011 39.69 417th 685 39.1%
2012 46.70 413th 772 46.5%
2013 43.65 455th 787 42.2%
2014 39.34 409th 690 40.7%
2015 26.78 364th 521 30.1%
2016 16.47 590th 677 12.9%
2017 12.63 657th 695 5.5%
2018 10.79 666th 711 6.3%
2019 11.09 564th 605 6.8%
2021 17.63 738th 832 11.3%
2023 17.68 730th 854 14.5%
2024 9.84 527th 550 4.2%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 15.79 594th 650 8.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 41.74 298th 606 50.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 28.10 644th 789 18.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.71 476th 503 5.4%
2023 23.28 576th 717 19.7%
2024 17.20 285th 320 10.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.80 555th 624 11.1%
2019 15.43 399th 466 14.4%
2021 19.86 704th 820 14.1%
2023 18.67 687th 806 14.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 8.82 603rd 617 2.3%
2021 17.41 740th 818 9.5%
2023 15.45 732nd 810 9.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Asian students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 30.12 310th 404 23.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 22.34 551st 573 3.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.36 511th 543 5.9%
2019 13.46 366th 387 5.4%
2021 22.66 692nd 802 13.7%
2023 19.22 661st 760 13.0%
2024 11.82 312th 329 5.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school Native American students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 46.04 149th 390 61.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Desert Horizon Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 30.38 583rd 780 25.3%
2023 31.14 463rd 675 31.4%
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.

Desert Horizon Elementary School Test Scores
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Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Desert Horizon Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 763 64 22 212 13 n/a n/a -59 1015
1989 777 58 28 192 8 n/a n/a -14 1049
1990 791 69 32 198 15 n/a n/a 7 1112
1991 826 80 28 230 17 n/a n/a -63 1118
1992 788 99 27 227 19 n/a n/a 0 1160
1993 712 110 18 265 32 n/a n/a 0 1137
1994 636 107 13 277 26 n/a n/a 0 1059
1995 528 106 16 341 33 n/a n/a 0 1024
1996 528 106 16 341 33 n/a n/a 0 1024
1997 526 118 12 377 33 n/a n/a 0 1066
1998 522 128 8 407 26 n/a n/a 0 1091
1999 464 127 14 444 23 n/a n/a 0 1072
2000 401 128 15 552 18 n/a n/a 0 1114
2001 376 137 19 620 16 n/a n/a 0 1168
2002 273 122 14 776 21 n/a n/a 0 1206
2003 273 122 14 776 21 n/a n/a 0 1206
2004 227 129 10 936 22 n/a n/a 0 1324
2005 191 98 11 1067 21 n/a n/a 0 1388
2006 161 108 11 1042 15 n/a n/a 0 1337
2007 108 62 8 741 18 n/a n/a 0 937
2008 100 35 5 684 22 n/a n/a 0 846
2009 66 42 3 687 24 n/a n/a 0 822
2010 68 47 4 731 19 n/a n/a 0 869
2011 46 40 7 707 11 1 7 0 819
2012 63 56 8 808 18 0 9 0 962
2013 55 67 9 753 19 0 12 0 915
2014 65 52 6 833 16 0 11 0 983
2015 66 55 7 838 18 0 10 0 994
2016 64 70 3 876 9 0 9 0 1031
2017 55 55 2 856 7 1 9 0 985
2018 50 40 10 821 9 1 8 0 939
2019 59 35 8 760 7 3 14 0 886
2020 49 27 7 731 6 0 12 0 832
2021 40 34 10 652 5 0 13 0 754
2022 40 45 9 615 7 0 13 0 729
2023 38 46 6 621 4 0 17 0 732
2024 39 55 8 607 6 0 14 0 729

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 Desert Horizon Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1015 54.8 18.5 n/a
1989 1049 54.5 19.2 n/a
1990 1112 55.0 20.2 n/a
1991 1118 57.4 19.4 n/a
1992 1160 56.7 20.4 n/a
1993 1137 58.5 19.4 n/a
1994 1059 54.3 19.5 n/a
1995 1024 53.0 19.3 n/a
1996 1024 53.0 19.3 n/a
1997 1066 54.0 19.7 n/a
1998 1091 54.0 20.2 n/a
1999 1072 56.0 19.1 n/a
2000 1114 59.5 18.7 n/a
2001 1168 58.5 20.0 n/a
2002 1206 66.0 18.3 52.6
2003 1206 66.0 18.3 52.6
2004 1324 67.5 19.6 76.1
2005 1388 65.0 21.4 80.4
2006 1337 67.5 19.8 78.6
2007 937 47.3 19.8 77.2
2008 846 45.5 18.6 78.1
2009 822 46.3 17.8 82.2
2010 869 42.8 20.3 84.7
2011 819 39.8 20.5 99.6
2012 962 44.0 21.8 99.7
2013 915 42.1 21.6 84.4
2014 983 45.0 21.8 86
2015 994 48.0 20.7 59.4
2016 1031 49.0 21.0 99.7
2017 985 49.0 20.1 99.7
2018 939 52.5 17.8 86.9
2019 886 49.5 17.8 76.9
2020 832 48.5 17.1 76.9
2021 754 43.0 17.5 n/a
2022 729 46.0 15.8 76.8
2023 732 38.0 19.2 76.9
2024 729 34.0 21.4 n/a

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 Desert Horizon Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1015 54.8 18.5 n/a
1989 1049 54.5 19.2 n/a
1990 1112 55.0 20.2 n/a
1991 1118 57.4 19.4 n/a
1992 1160 56.7 20.4 n/a
1993 1137 58.5 19.4 n/a
1994 1059 54.3 19.5 n/a
1995 1024 53.0 19.3 n/a
1996 1024 53.0 19.3 n/a
1997 1066 54.0 19.7 n/a
1998 1091 54.0 20.2 n/a
1999 1072 56.0 19.1 n/a
2000 1114 59.5 18.7 n/a
2001 1168 58.5 20.0 n/a
2002 1206 66.0 18.3 52.6
2003 1206 66.0 18.3 52.6
2004 1324 67.5 19.6 76.1
2005 1388 65.0 21.4 80.4
2006 1337 67.5 19.8 78.6
2007 937 47.3 19.8 77.2
2008 846 45.5 18.6 78.1
2009 822 46.3 17.8 82.2
2010 869 42.8 20.3 84.7
2011 819 39.8 20.5 99.6
2012 962 44.0 21.8 99.7
2013 915 42.1 21.6 84.4
2014 983 45.0 21.8 86
2015 994 48.0 20.7 59.4
2016 1031 49.0 21.0 99.7
2017 985 49.0 20.1 99.7
2018 939 52.5 17.8 86.9
2019 886 49.5 17.8 76.9
2020 832 48.5 17.1 76.9
2021 754 43.0 17.5 n/a
2022 729 46.0 15.8 76.8
2023 732 38.0 19.2 76.9
2024 729 34.0 21.4 n/a

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 Desert Horizon Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,825 (19.9%) $7,860 (85.7%) $9,174
2021 $1,734 (28.9%) $5,090 (84.9%) $5,994
2022 $1,950 (29.8%) $5,018 (76.8%) $6,537

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Horizon Elementary School

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 959th of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 1154th of 1245 Elementary schools
 0.4%
Ranks 564th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 730th of 854 Middle schools
 7.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students886732
 17.4%
African American3546
 31.4%
American Indian74
 42.9%
Asian86
 25%
Hispanic760621
 18.3%
Pacific Islander30
 100%
White5938
 35.6%
Two or More Races1417
 21.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients76.9%76.9%
 0.1%


Schools Near Desert Horizon Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Horizon Elementary School

Students at Desert Horizon Elementary School are 83% Hispanic, 8% African American, 5% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 729 students attended Desert Horizon Elementary School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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