Desert Horizon Elementary School

As a sprawling primary school in PHOENIX, Arizona, Desert Horizon Elementary School works with 690 students from grades pre-K through 8, overseen by Pendergast Elementary District (4283). Enrollment runs roughly 53% above the state mean of about 451.

Across the 12 schools in Pendergast Elementary District (4283) (8,098 students total), Desert Horizon Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Desert Horizon Elementary School logs that nearly all students (85%) are Hispanic. Beyond that, the school shows 7% Black, 5% White. By comparison, Maricopa County as a whole is about 31% Hispanic, so the school skews meaningfully more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Desert Horizon Elementary School logs 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 17.7:1. The state averages around 17.0:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Maricopa County put median household earnings sit near $89,300, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 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 Horizon Elementary School is one.

The closest other public school is Pan-American Charter School, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies an inner-city site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Desert Horizon Elementary School has declined 27%, going from 939 students in 2018 to 690 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.