Desert Meadows Elementary School, Laveen AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Desert Meadows Elementary School

Desert Meadows Elementary School serves students from preschool through eighth grade in Laveen, a community on the southwestern edge of the Phoenix metro area that still carries the feel of its farming past even as new housing developments multiply. The school sits within the Laveen Elementary District, a system that has seen its enrollment rise fast enough that voters passed a bond in 2023 to build new classrooms and upgrade safety and security, followed by a budget override in 2024 to fund full-day kindergarten, arts and music programs at all schools, and smaller class sizes. Those votes suggest a community willing to invest in its schools, and the district also opened a new global-studies campus in 2020.

Desert Meadows is a large elementary school by enrollment, drawing from the surrounding residential neighborhoods. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population and smaller shares of White, Native American, Asian, and multiracial students. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Information on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, special education, and English learner status was not available in the data provided.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-2025 school year, proficiency rates across grades and subjects fell below what many families would hope to see. In math, the share of students meeting the state’s proficiency standard declined as grade levels rose, starting at roughly one in three in third grade and dropping to about one in eight by eighth grade. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: around one in four third graders were proficient, and rates remained in that range or lower through the upper grades, with seventh grade showing about one in five. Science results were available for fifth and eighth grades; roughly one in three fifth graders and fewer than one in five eighth graders were proficient. Compared with other districts across Maricopa County, Desert Meadows’ overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint. The data does not include a multi-year trend that would show whether these results are improving or declining relative to previous years; only a single year’s scores were reported.

Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data was provided. No course access, staffing ratios, or discipline data were included in the available information, so those dimensions of school environment cannot be described here.

Laveen itself is a place of contrasts. Its rural heritage is still visible in undeveloped agricultural parcels and in the community’s motto, “Where rural is a way of life.” Yet the area has been growing quickly, with new residential subdivisions, a Walmart that opened with design concessions to the rural character, and a freeway extension that opened a few years ago and has spurred plans for a hospital and more retail. South Mountain Park, one of the nation’s largest municipal parks, borders the community to the south. The built environment is car-oriented; walkability is limited. Schools are spread across the area rather than concentrated in a downtown core, since Laveen never developed a traditional dense center. The community is partly within Phoenix city limits as Laveen Village, with the remainder unincorporated in Maricopa County.

Housing values in Laveen’s zip code have seen a slight decline over the past year, while rents have edged up. The typical home price is somewhat above the state median, and renting takes a moderate share of area income. The broader economic context shows a national unemployment rate that has been stable, with mortgage rates around levels seen in recent years.

Desert Meadows Elementary School offers a neighborhood choice for families in Laveen who want a K-8 program close to home, within a district that has recently secured funding for expanded programs and facility improvements. The academic results on state tests are lower than many other schools in the county, and families considering this school may want to discuss with the school directly what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting proficiency standards, and whether the new district investments in class size reduction and arts programs are reaching this campus. The school’s large size and diverse student body, combined with the rapid growth of the surrounding area, shape the daily experience here.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 39% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 37% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 30% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 24% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 24% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 22% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 32% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 44% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 31% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 38% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 720%

School 20% · District 42% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 41% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Science

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 30% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 27% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

This schoolLaveen Elementary District (4276), 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.