Desert Trails Elementary School, Phoenix AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Desert Trails Elementary School

Desert Trails Elementary School sits in a fast-growing corner of Phoenix within the Paradise Valley Unified District, serving children from early childhood through the upper elementary years. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its attendance zone draws from a part of the city where housing is notably expensive relative to the state and national benchmarks, with rents that reflect a high-demand market. The school’s enrollment of roughly several hundred students is in line with a larger elementary campus, and the student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on economic need, such as free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, was not reported, so a family looking to understand the economic makeup of the school will need to ask the school directly.

Academically, Desert Trails posts some of the strongest results among elementary schools in its county. On the state assessments for math and reading, proficiency rates across grades three through six are very high, with math numbers particularly strong and English language arts following a solid upward trajectory as students move from third grade through sixth. Science results, which are tested only in fifth grade, also show a majority of students meeting the state’s standard. When compared with all other districts in Maricopa County, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile. That is a clear strength and suggests a cohort of students who are consistently meeting grade-level expectations. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

The school’s setting within Phoenix means families have access to a large urban economy anchored by manufacturing, technology, tourism, and air travel, and the city continues to add population. The search for recent changes within the Paradise Valley Unified district did not turn up any parent-relevant developments that have been publicly reported, so there is no information about new programs, boundary adjustments, or leadership shifts to consider.

Several areas of missing data are worth noting. The school did not report its Title I status, so it is not clear whether it receives federal funds for low-income students. Information on special education enrollment, English learner populations, discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, and staffing ratios was also absent from the available records. A parent who wants a fuller picture of student support and school climate may want to follow up directly with the school’s administration. The school’s religious or philosophical affiliation is not applicable since it is a regular public school.

For a family that values high academic performance as measured by state tests, Desert Trails presents a very strong track record. The peer environment is one where most students come from backgrounds that support school success, and the surrounding housing market suggests a community of above-average income. The school is part of a large urban district, but the immediate neighborhood feels suburban in character. The missing pieces around student support programs and school climate are not unusual for a data profile, but they mean a family should visit and ask questions to see whether the school’s day-to-day environment matches its test scores.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 33% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 481%

School 81% · District 56% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 594%

School 94% · District 50% · ▲ 44 pts above district

▲ 52 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

Grade 696%

School 96% · District 45% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 60 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 25% · ▲ 49 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 477%

School 77% · District 60% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 579%

School 79% · District 48% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 693%

School 93% · District 57% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

Science

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 42% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

This schoolParadise Valley Unified District (4241), 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.