Desert Heights Charter School

Set in GLENDALE, Arizona, Desert Heights Charter School is a big combined-grade school, part of Desert Heights Charter Schools (81099). It works with 868 students across grades K through 12. Compared to the state average of about 550 students per school, that is 58% bigger than typical.

Desert Heights Charter Schools (81099) is the operating authority for Desert Heights Charter School, handling staffing, calendars, and reporting to the state department of education.

Looking at the student body, Desert Heights Charter School reports that 50% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 35% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 5% Black. By comparison, Maricopa County as a whole is about 59% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Desert Heights Charter School has 58 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.1:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 21.4:1 average.

In the area at large, Maricopa County reports that median household income runs about $89,300, roughly 37% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Maricopa County runs 1352 public schools (combined enrollment of about 725,139 students), of which Desert Heights Charter School is one.

The closest other public school is Sunflower School, roughly 0.3 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The campus sits in a commuter-belt setting. Desert Heights Charter School operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 127%: 382 students in 2018 compared to 868 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment grew from 28% to 35% over that span.

On this page, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.