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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·YUMA ELEMENTARY DISTRICT (4499)·NCES 040960001804

Desert Mesa Elementary School

2350 S AVENUE 7 1/2 E, YUMA, AZ 85365 · (928) 502-8600 · Yuma County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL876 STUDENTS
Enrollment
876
Elementary
DISTRICT 435 · STATE 451
Student : Teacher
20.6:1
43 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.4:1 · STATE 17.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 95%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Pre-K738%
Kindergarten11113%
Grade 110212%
Grade 216018%
Grade 313115%
Grade 415317%
Grade 513916%
Ungraded71%

This year's kindergarten class (111) is 20% smaller than its 5th grade class (139).

Student demographics
36%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 35% · STATE 65% · US 70%
White
16919%
DISTRICT 17% · STATE 33% · US 43%
Hispanic
67877%
DISTRICT 79% · STATE 48% · US 30%
Black
101%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 6% · US 15%
Asian
10%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 3% · US 6%
Two+
131%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 4% · US 5%
Native American
51%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 5% · US 1%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
46253%
Female
41447%

Discussions

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Test scores

AASA 2024-25 . % Passing
English Language Arts
34.0%
AZ avg 45.4% . -17.0pp since 2017
Math
34.0%
AZ avg 37.8% . -18.0pp since 2017

What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 34 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 34 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Arizona schools, those numbers are about 45 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 17 points since 2017, while math scores are down about 18 points.

AASA results by year

School yearEnglish Language ArtsMath
2024-2534.0%34.0%
2023-2442.0%38.0%
2022-2340.0%45.0%
2021-2242.0%45.0%
2020-2135.0%19.0%
2018-1952.0%50.0%
2017-1851.0%52.0%
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

Where Desert Mesa Elementary School ranks

Among elementary schools
MeasureThis schoolIn ArizonaIn Yuma County
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
34.0%#471 of 1,072
▼ 71
#9 of 38
▼ 1
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
34.0%#567 of 1,072
▼ 127
#16 of 38
▼ 6
3-year test score change
ranked biggest drop first
-9.5pp#99 of 930#5 of 34
Enrollment
ranked largest first
876#82 of 1,223#3 of 40
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
20.6:1#849 of 991#21 of 35
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
36.3%#775 of 1,007#7 of 35
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked fastest growth first
+20.8%#79 of 256#6 of 12
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
876
+187 (+27%) vs 2020
+45% since 2000-01, when it was 603
Student : Teacher
20.6:1
was 19.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-2587642.520.6:1N/A
2023-248274219.7:1N/A
2022-238413822.1:159% (495)
2020-216893519.7:1N/A
2017-1872534.920.8:160% (435)
2015-167143321.6:160% (425)
2010-117023221.9:158% (406)
2000-016033119.4:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desert Mesa Elementary School.

Since 2017-18: students up 21% (725 to 876); teachers up 22% (34.9 to 42.5).

About Desert Mesa Elementary School

Families in YUMA, Arizona, are served by Desert Mesa Elementary School, a large elementary school. Total enrollment is 876 students, and the grades served are pre-K through 5. By comparison, elementary schools in Arizona enroll about 451 students on average.

Yuma Elementary District (4499) enrolls 9,102 students, and its 19 schools include Desert Mesa Elementary School.

Hispanic students are 77% of those enrolled at Desert Mesa Elementary School. Beyond that, enrollment is 19% White. In Yuma County overall, about 65% of residents are Hispanic. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 36, compared with 70 nationally.

Its staff includes 42.5 full-time-equivalent teachers, for about 20.6 students per teacher. The average for elementary schools in Arizona, 17.0:1, is lower.

The school is in Yuma County, where the median household earns about $62,876 a year, about 17% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 13% of residents are in poverty. Across Yuma County, 89 public schools serve about 38,800 students.

STEDY- Gila Ridge HS Satellite sits about 0.3 miles from Desert Mesa Elementary School. Desert Mesa Elementary School has at least 8 other public schools within five miles.

Desert Mesa Elementary School is coded as Rural: Fringe in federal locale data.

In 2024-25, the school enrolled 876, up from 689 in 2020-21.

Use the discussion section to ask about homework, tutoring, and testing dates at Desert Mesa Elementary School. You can also rate the school on this page.

Yuma County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
211,741
Census ACS
Median income
$62,876
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
17%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
13%
Below federal line
Schools in county
89
38,800 students

Quick facts

School name
Desert Mesa Elementary School
District
Yuma Elementary District (4499)
Address
2350 S AVENUE 7 1/2 E, YUMA, AZ 85365
Phone
(928) 502-8600
County
Yuma County
Level
Elementary
Grade range
PK–05
Total enrollment
876
Teachers (FTE)
43
Student–teacher ratio
20.6:1
Locale
41-Rural: Fringe
NCES ID
040960001804
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Yuma Elementary District (4499)
Other schools in YUMA
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Desert Mesa Elementary School
How many students attend Desert Mesa Elementary School?
Desert Mesa Elementary School enrolls approximately 876 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does Desert Mesa Elementary School serve?
Desert Mesa Elementary School serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at Desert Mesa Elementary School?
Approximately 20.6:1 students per teacher at Desert Mesa Elementary School.
How diverse is Desert Mesa Elementary School?
Desert Mesa Elementary School reports a student body of 19% White, 77% Hispanic, 1% Black, 0% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Is Desert Mesa Elementary School public or private?
Desert Mesa Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Yuma Elementary District (4499).
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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