Desert Star Academy, Fort Mohave AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Desert Star Academy

Desert Star Academy is a K-8 charter school in Fort Mohave, a rapidly growing, car-dependent unincorporated community along the Colorado River in western Arizona. The school sits on Highway 95, the main commercial artery, in an area where many neighborhoods are built around man-made lakes and golf courses, and where the population skews older, with a large retiree presence. A parent considering this school is looking at a single-building charter that serves all of its students from kindergarten through eighth grade, with no high school on site.

The student body is predominantly White, with a substantial Hispanic minority and a very small number of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner status were not available, so a family wanting to understand the school’s economic diversity or level of specialized support would need to ask those questions directly of the school. The enrollment is modest for its grade band, with fairly even distribution across each elementary and middle school grade.

On state assessments, the picture is mixed and a parent will want to look closely at subject-area patterns. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency standards varied widely by grade level, from a low point in third grade to a stronger showing in seventh grade, though eighth grade fell back. Across all grades combined, proficiency in ELA was within a range that is roughly in the ballpark of the midpoint for schools in the state. Math scores were notably lower, with each tested grade reporting a smaller share of students reaching proficiency; the overall math proficiency rate was below what the school achieved in reading. Science results, available for fifth and eighth grades, showed a modest share of students scoring proficient in fifth grade and a lower share in eighth grade. The school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Mohave County, a fact a parent may want to weigh against whatever specific programs or strengths the school offers.

Because Desert Star serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate data, which is expected for a school with this grade configuration. The school had only a single year of assessment data available in the most recent period, so trends are not yet visible. No information was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or course access, so a family may want to ask the school for details on classroom environment and curriculum beyond what test scores show.

The housing context in Fort Mohave reflects a community that grew quickly through the 2000s and 2010s, driven largely by retiree in-migration, and has since settled into slower growth. The typical home value in the area falls below the statewide average for Arizona, and rents are likewise modest relative to the state as a whole, which may matter to a family weighing affordability. The built environment is fully suburban and auto-oriented, with no walkable downtown; commute times suggest most residents drive to work, with some crossing into nearby Bullhead City or Laughlin, Nevada for employment.

The school operates as its own charter district, meaning it is not part of a larger traditional school system. No recent changes to the district’s programs, leadership, or operations were visible in public records, so a parent would need to check with the school directly on any developments that might affect their child’s experience. Desert Star Academy fits a family looking for a single-site charter pathway in a community where the local housing market is relatively attainable and the school’s academic profile, especially in math, is one a parent would want to investigate further by visiting and asking about instructional approaches and support.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 40% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 33% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 26% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 26% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 725%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 22% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 45% · ▲ 2 pts above district

even with state median · even with county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 45% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 45% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 51% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 34% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolDesert Star Academy (92302), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.