Desert Sunset Elementary School

Q: Is Desert Sunset Elementary School a good school?

Desert Sunset Elementary School ranks 626 th of 904 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Desert Sunset Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Buckeye, Arizona, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 631 students. The school is part of the Saddle Mountain Unified School District, which is ranked 235 out of 288 districts in Arizona and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Desert Sunset Elementary's academic performance is generally lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics below the state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd grade ELA proficiency rate was 29% compared to the state average of 39%, and its 3rd grade Math proficiency rate was 40% compared to the state average of 43%. The school's performance is particularly low in 4th and 5th grade Mathematics, with proficiency rates of 19% and 35%, respectively, compared to the state averages of 36% and 33%. The school's lowest-performing student group is Special Education, ranking in the bottom 6% of Arizona elementary schools.

Compared to nearby schools, Winters Well Elementary has similar academic performance to Desert Sunset Elementary, while Tartesso Elementary outperforms Desert Sunset in both ELA and Mathematics. Palo Verde Elementary, in a different district, also has higher academic performance than Desert Sunset Elementary, particularly in the upper grades. These differences may be influenced by factors such as the school's relatively high percentage of students (46.91%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, as well as its higher student-teacher ratio of 21:1 compared to some nearby schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

30919 W. White Tanks Vista Dr
Buckeye, AZ 85396

(623) 474-5601

District: Saddle Mountain Unified School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
626^th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 21.0

Number of students: 631

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.2%

White:

30.7%

African American:

8.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Desert Sunset Elementary School ranks worse than 69.2% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Saddle Mountain Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.12. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Desert Sunset Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Saddle Mountain Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (55.2%), White (30.7%), African American (8.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Sunset Elementary School is 21, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Saddle Mountain Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Desert Sunset Elementary School employs 30 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Desert Sunset Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Sunset Elementary School 626^th of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Desert Sunset Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Saddle Mountain Unified School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Saddle Mountain Unified School District 235^th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Desert Sunset Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	42.12	635^th	1245	49.0%
2024	25.12	626^th	904	30.8%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.19	369^th	617	40.2%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	18.89	767^th	820	6.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.17	578^th	1116	48.2%
2024	31.16	366^th	546	33.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	43.20	613^th	1219	49.7%
2024	14.79	521^st	593	12.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	38.30	686^th	1216	43.6%
2024	16.37	515^th	609	15.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	35.55	408^th	607	32.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	36.53	726^th	1170	37.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Desert Sunset Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	38.58	628^th	1024	38.7%
2024	44.61	274^th	477	42.6%

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 Desert Sunset Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2022	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023	194	54	2	348	9	3	21	0	631

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 Sunset Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
2023	631	30.0	21.0	46.9

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 Sunset Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
2023	631	30.0	21.0	46.9

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.

Schools Near Desert Sunset Elementary School

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
Desert Sunset Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	30919 W. White Tanks Vista Dr	Buckeye	85396	Maricopa County	Saddle Mountain Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(623) 474-5601	631	30	21.0	46.9%	194 (30.7%)	54 (8.6%)	348 (55.2%)	2 (0.3%)	9 (1.4%)	3 (0.5%)	21 (3.3%)	25.1	626^th of 904 public elementary schools	30.8%		42.1	635^th of 1245 public elementary schools	49.0%	9	29.0	34.0	30.0				40.0	19.0	35.0
Tartesso Elementary School	Public	K-8	29677 W Indianola Ave	Buckeye	85396	Maricopa County	Saddle Mountain Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 474-5400	355	22	16.5	42.8%	106 (29.9%)	23 (6.5%)	205 (57.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.2%)	34.9	523^rd of 904 public elementary schools	42.1%		55.4	485^th of 1245 public elementary schools	61.0%	38	44.0	36.0	35.0				45.0	28.0	32.0				$8,544	$364	$91	$819	$6,329	$1,759	$8,089
Winters Well Elementary School	Public	K-5	35220 W Buckeye Rd	Tonopah	85354	Maricopa County	Saddle Mountain Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 474-5301	578	30	19.5	74.7%	164 (28.4%)	4 (0.7%)	399 (69.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.9%)	23.9	644^th of 904 public elementary schools	28.8%		32.8	774^th of 1245 public elementary schools	37.8%	130	19.0	32.0	41.0				23.0	25.0	37.0				$8,738	$415	$136	$966	$6,352	$1,835	$8,187
Westpark Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	2700 S 257th Dr	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 435-3282	562	32	17.8	59.8%	147 (26.2%)	41 (7.3%)	318 (56.6%)	4 (0.7%)	5 (0.9%)	3 (0.5%)	44 (7.8%)	44.5	439^th of 904 public elementary schools	51.4%		50.2	546^th of 1245 public elementary schools	56.1%	107	29.0	50.0	36.0	41.0	29.0	33.0	45.0	52.0	52.0	22.0	22.0	68.0	$9,185	$430	$87	$946	$6,898	$1,771	$8,669
Imagine Schools at Buckeye	Public, Charter	K-8	2400 S 247th Ave	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	West Gilbert Charter Elementary School Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 250-4580	296			54.7%	100 (33.8%)	19 (6.4%)	160 (54.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.7%)								(n/a)						48.0	23.0							$00			$00
John S McCain III Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3170 S 247th Ave	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 925-3400	673	31	22.0	57.8%	180 (26.7%)	37 (5.5%)	400 (59.4%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	36 (5.3%)	23.8	646^th of 904 public elementary schools	28.5%		38	709^th of 1245 public elementary schools	43.1%	63	25.0	46.0		21.0	48.0	29.0	22.0	37.0			39.0	42.0	$10,733	$354	$80	$788	$7,314	$2,984	$10,299
Steven R. Jasinski Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4280 S 246th Ave	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 925-3100	751	32	23.4	58.9%	201 (26.8%)	56 (7.5%)	449 (59.8%)	6 (0.8%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.7%)	31 (4.1%)	18.2	727^th of 904 public elementary schools	19.6%		43.1	619^th of 1245 public elementary schools	50.3%	108	23.0	32.0	31.0	35.0	21.0	33.0	27.0	24.0	17.0	22.0	20.0	38.0	$8,768	$431	$83	$946	$6,561	$1,692	$8,253
Sundance Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	23800 W Hadley St	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 847-8531	707	33	21.7	68.9%	125 (17.7%)	87 (12.3%)	456 (64.5%)	3 (0.4%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	26 (3.7%)	28.7	584^th of 904 public elementary schools	35.4%		32.5	776^th of 1245 public elementary schools	37.7%	192	40.0	41.0	29.0	32.0	19.0	29.0	38.0	36.0	16.0			31.0	$8,329	$520	$82	$1,121	$6,170	$1,557	$7,728
Palo Verde Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	10700 S. Palo Verde Road	Palo Verde	85343	Maricopa County	Palo Verde Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 327-3680	446	23	19.6	70.6%	125 (28.0%)	8 (1.8%)	303 (67.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	26.9	608^th of 904 public elementary schools	32.7%		53.8	503^rd of 1245 public elementary schools	59.6%	105	37.0	41.0	24.0	32.0	42.0	43.0	39.0	31.0	24.0		26.0		$13,346	$1,964	$1,954	$5,883	$7,679	$1,749	$9,428
Bales Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	25400 W Maricopa Rd	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 847-8503	659	32	20.5	70.0%	108 (16.4%)	59 (9.0%)	464 (70.4%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (2.9%)	29.5	578^th of 904 public elementary schools	36.1%		27.1	868^th of 1245 public elementary schools	30.3%	290	37.0	31.0	40.0	25.0	28.0	24.0	32.0		38.0				$9,848	$606	$92	$1,303	$7,002	$2,148	$9,151

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Sunset Elementary School

Is Desert Sunset Elementary School a good school?

Desert Sunset Elementary School ranks 626^th of 904 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Desert Sunset Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 631 students attended Desert Sunset Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Desert Sunset Elementary School?

Students at Desert Sunset Elementary School are 55% Hispanic, 31% White, 9% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What district is Desert Sunset Elementary School in?

Saddle Mountain Unified School District

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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.