The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Math. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Desert Willow Elementary School
Desert Willow Elementary School serves students from preschool through eighth grade in Casa Grande, a city that has been growing rapidly as it shifts from its agricultural roots toward a mix of residential, retail, and industrial development. The school is part of the Casa Grande Elementary District, which is itself one of the larger employers in the area. The city has attracted major employers like Lucid Motors, and new housing and businesses continue to open to serve a population that has increased substantially since the 2020 census. Casa Grande is a car-dependent, sprawling city, and the school sits within that suburban context.
Desert Willow is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it serves a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial white population and smaller shares of Black, multiracial, and Native American students. The school enrolls roughly the size of a mid-sized elementary school for its grade band, though its grade configuration is unusual: the vast majority of students are in kindergarten through fifth grade, with only a handful in sixth and seventh grades and none in eighth. The school lists preschool through eighth grade as its range, but in practice it functions almost entirely as an elementary school.
State testing results for the most recent school year show that proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were below the midpoint among districts in Pinal County. In third grade, about a third of students met the state's proficiency bar in math, and a slightly smaller share did so in reading. By fourth grade, the share proficient in math dropped to under a fifth, and in reading it was just over a quarter. Fifth-grade reading proficiency was under a fifth, and fifth-grade science proficiency was also under a fifth. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint relative to other districts in Pinal County. Because the school serves only through eighth grade and has very few students in the upper grades, there is no graduation rate to report.
The school's enrollment is concentrated in the elementary grades, and the handful of middle-grade students may reflect a small program or a transitional arrangement. Data on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, special education, and English learner status were not available, so a family looking to understand the school's support resources or the share of students facing economic disadvantage would need to ask the school directly. The district brief turned up no recent major changes such as a bond referendum, boundary shift, or curriculum overhaul, so the school appears to be operating under stable conditions.
Housing in the area around the school is moderately priced relative to the state, with home values that have seen a slight decline recently. Rents have edged up. The national mortgage rate environment means that buying versus renting is a close call for many households. Casa Grande itself is a fast-growing city, with population increasing substantially since the 2020 census, and new housing and commercial development are ongoing. The city is car-dependent, with major highways connecting it to Phoenix and Tucson, and the largest employers include Lucid Motors, the school district itself, and a Walmart distribution center.
For a family considering Desert Willow, the picture is straightforward. The school serves a predominantly elementary-age population in a growing, car-oriented city. Academic proficiency rates across tested subjects are below the midpoint for the county, and a parent may want to ask the school about academic support programs and how the school addresses these results. The school's unusual grade configuration, with almost no middle-grade students, means that families with children approaching sixth grade will need to plan for a transition to another school. The district has not recently undergone a major change that would affect the school's day-to-day operations.
See more original research from School Decision →