Desert Garden Elementary School

Desert Garden Elementary School is an intimate elementary-level community in GLENDALE, Arizona, overseen by Glendale Elementary District (4271). The school works with 205 students in grades pre-K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 451 students per school, that is 55% below typical.

Desert Garden Elementary School is one of 14 schools operated by Glendale Elementary District (4271), a district that instructs 8,580 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Desert Garden Elementary School reports that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 76% of enrollment. Other groups include 8% Black, 7% White, 4% Asian, 3% multiracial. By comparison, Maricopa County as a whole is about 31% Hispanic, so the school skews visibly more Hispanic than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Desert Garden Elementary School logs 11 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 18.6:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 17.0:1 average.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Maricopa County put the typical household earns roughly $89,300 per year, about 37% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. In all, Maricopa County runs 1352 public schools (combined enrollment of about 725,139 students), of which Desert Garden Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Challenger Middle School, around 0.4 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Desert Garden Elementary School.

Desert Garden Elementary School operates from a residential location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 71%: 704 students in 2018 compared to 205 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment ticked up from 58% to 76% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.