Deer Valley Unified District (4246), AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Deer Valley Unified District (4246)

Deer Valley Unified District is a large, full-service public school district that serves a swath of northern Maricopa County, covering the communities of Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Anthem, New River, and Cave Creek. It is among the largest districts in the county, enrolling tens of thousands of students from preschool through twelfth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population, and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. The district runs several dozen schools, including an online academy, and the individual schools range from traditional elementary campuses to large comprehensive high schools.

Academically, the district operates in the middle of the pack when its overall proficiency is compared across all tested subjects and grades among Maricopa County's districts, sitting slightly above the midpoint. The state test results from the most recent year show a wide spread across grade levels and subjects. In elementary grades, math proficiency is strongest in third and fifth grade, while fourth and sixth grade show softer results. English language arts proficiency is strongest in later elementary and middle school, with fifth, sixth, and eighth grade posting stronger shares of students meeting the bar, while third and seventh grade are lower. Science proficiency, tested in grades five and eight, lands at a similar level for both grades, with about half of students reaching the proficiency threshold. The district's available multi-year trend data covers only a short span at a broad grade-band level, making it difficult to identify a clear trajectory.

The district's chronic absenteeism rate, a measure of how many students miss a substantial amount of school, is better than the median among Maricopa County's districts, meaning fewer students are habitually absent compared to many of its neighbors. Per-pupil current spending sits in the upper half of the county's middle range, consistent with a large, established suburban district. The data does not include a graduation rate, a notable gap when evaluating the district's high school outcomes. A parent looking at the high schools may want to check directly with the district or individual high schools for graduation figures.

Housing in the district's attendance zone is relatively expensive. Home values vary notably by community, with the highest values found in Cave Creek and the lowest in the more urban Phoenix zip codes within the district's boundaries. Rents follow a similar pattern. The overall housing market is pricey compared to both the state and national benchmarks, and a typical household would need a significant portion of its income to cover rent. The district's student poverty rate was not available, which is an unusual omission and one a family might want to ask about.

The district did not provide recent, parent-relevant changes such as bond or override elections, curriculum shifts, or budget decisions that were confirmed with proper sources. The lack of such information does not mean nothing is happening, but a family looking for the district's current direction would need to seek it out from local news or the district's own communications.

For a family considering this area, Deer Valley Unified offers a very large, comprehensive system with a wide variety of school settings, from newer schools in growing outer suburbs to more established campuses in older parts of the region. The academic performance is mixed, with some grades and subjects showing solid proficiency and others where a parent may want to look into this further with the school. The chronic absenteeism picture is better than many districts in the county, but the missing graduation data and student poverty information are gaps that would be worth filling in. The housing market is costly, particularly in the northern reaches of the district, and that is a real factor in who this district tends to serve.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

32,837

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 23%

Black 4%

White 61%

Asian 5%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

34%

—

Gr 4

42%

—

Gr 5

36%

—

Gr 6

42%

—

Gr 7

40%

—

Gr 8

38%

—

Math

Gr 3

40%

—

Gr 4

36%

—

Gr 5

37%

—

Gr 6

27%

—

Gr 7

25%

—

Gr 8

24%

—

Science

Gr 5

37%

—

Gr 8

35%

—

Schools in this District

41 schools are officially reported under this district.

Las Brisas Elementary School

Desert Mountain School

Mountain Ridge High School

Constitution Elementary School

Deer Valley Middle School

New River Elementary School

Park Meadows Elementary School

Village Meadows Elementary School

Deer Valley High School

Mirage Elementary School

Sunrise Elementary School

Traditional Academy at Bellair

Desert Sky Middle School

Copper Creek Elementary School

Greenbrier Elementary School

Mountain Shadows Elementary School

Barry Goldwater High School

Arrowhead Elementary School

Hillcrest Middle School

Esperanza Elementary School

Desert Sage Elementary School

Paseo Hills School

Highland Lakes School

Anthem School

Legend Springs Elementary

Sierra Verde STEAM Academy

Stetson Hills School

Sandra Day O'Connor High School

Gavilan Peak School

Boulder Creek High School

Diamond Canyon School

West Wing School

Aspire Deer Valley's Online Academy

Canyon Springs STEM Academy

Norterra Canyon School

Terramar Academy of the Arts

Sunset Ridge School

Vista Peak

Sonoran Foothills School

Union Park School

Inspiration Mountain School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

56%

Grade 3

37%

Grade 4

55%

Grade 5

26%

Grade 6

21%

Grade 7

43%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

23%

Grade 3

38%

Grade 4

52%

Grade 5

58%

Grade 6

38%

Grade 7

56%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

51%

Grade 5

51%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$622,646

Year-over-year change-0.6%

Range across 13 ZIP codes$380K to $833K

vs. state typical1.47x

vs. national typical1.69x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (13 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
85087	New River	$633K	+0.5%	28.3%
85086	Anthem	$626K	-1.3%	19.9%
85383	Peoria	$643K	-0.4%	12.5%
85085	Phoenix	$644K	-1.3%	12.4%
85083	Phoenix	$629K	-0.7%	6.5%
85331	Cave Creek	$833K	+1.3%	6.4%
85308	Glendale	$477K	-2.2%	5.3%
85027	Phoenix	$381K	-2.9%	3.7%
85310	Phoenix	$542K	-0.7%	3.0%
85024	Phoenix	$491K	-1.5%	1.1%
85023	Phoenix	$421K	-2.2%	0.6%
85053	Phoenix	$380K	-2.9%	0.4%
85382	Peoria	$457K	-1.6%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,211/mo

Year-over-year change+0.8%

Range across 12 ZIP codes$1,288 to $3,261/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (12 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
85086	Anthem	$2,199	+2.8%	19.9%
85383	Peoria	$2,377	+0.7%	12.5%
85085	Phoenix	$1,782	-0.6%	12.4%
85083	Phoenix	$2,739	+2.8%	6.5%
85331	Cave Creek	$3,261	—	6.4%
85308	Glendale	$1,639	-2.3%	5.3%
85027	Phoenix	$1,487	-2.8%	3.7%
85310	Phoenix	$2,318	+1.1%	3.0%
85024	Phoenix	$1,857	+2.6%	1.1%
85023	Phoenix	$1,296	-2.7%	0.6%
85053	Phoenix	$1,288	-5.0%	0.4%
85382	Peoria	$1,809	-0.5%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$3,142/mo

Home price / national median income7.4x

Annual rent / national median income31.7%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$931/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$423,746 (-1.6% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.