The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Math. The lowest is 14% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West Inc. (88367)
Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West Inc. operates a single elementary school in Maricopa County, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. Because this is a K-through-5 district, there is no high school graduation rate to report; the academic picture comes entirely from state assessments in math, English language arts, and science. The entity is a charter school district, meaning it operates under a charter authorizer rather than a traditional school board.
Enrollment is small for a district, with a student body that is overwhelmingly Hispanic, alongside small shares of Black, white, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, nor were counts of students with individualized education programs or English learner status, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the supports available for those groups.
State testing results from the most recent year show proficiency rates that place this school in the bottom quartile among Maricopa County's districts. In math, proficiency varied noticeably by grade level; one tested grade had a stronger result, while others were lower, pulling the combined average down. In English language arts, proficiency across grades was below the county midpoint. Science results for fifth grade were also low. A parent reading these outcomes should consider them carefully: the overall proficiency index for the district is well below the median of Maricopa County's districts, which is a soft spot that merits further inquiry with the school about instruction and support.
Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern. The rate here falls in the bottom quartile for the county, meaning a higher share of students are missing substantial amounts of school compared to most other districts. A family considering this school should ask what attendance initiatives and family engagement strategies are in place.
Per-pupil current spending sits in the middle range of the county's districts, though on the lower side of that range. This is a relatively lean spend, and a parent may want to understand how those funds are allocated, especially given the academic and attendance challenges.
The district's sole school, Imagine Desert West Elementary, is the only campus. There is no published information on program offerings such as arts, music, or extracurriculars. No recent district strategic priorities or major changes were found in publicly available sources. The locale brief was also absent in the data, so there is no specific description of the surrounding neighborhood or community context.
For a family, this is a small charter elementary with a heavily Hispanic student body and a profile of academic performance that is below the norm for its county. Chronic absenteeism is notably high. The school may serve families who choose it for its charter model or specific approach, but the available evidence points to significant room for improvement in both achievement and attendance. A parent should schedule a visit, ask about curriculum and intervention programs, and request current data on special education and English learner services, which were not reported here. The absence of high school grades means the decision is about elementary years only, and the transition to middle school will depend on the family’s options elsewhere.
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