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What's something Desert Ridge High does better than most schools?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
2,103
High
DISTRICT 1,648 · STATE 631
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·GILBERT UNIFIED DISTRICT (4239)·NCES 040340002283
Desert Ridge High
10045 E MADERO AVE, MESA, AZ 85209 · (480) 984-8947 · Maricopa County
GRADES 08–12HIGH11-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL2,103 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 42% of Arizona public high schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- DThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Arizona public high schools
Student : Teacher
19.7:1
107 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.8:1 · STATE 20.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 95%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 535 | 25% |
| Grade 10 | 525 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 522 | 25% |
| Grade 12 | 521 | 25% |
Student demographics
58%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 65% · US 70%
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
Test scores
AASA 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
46.0%
AZ avg 45.4% . +8.0pp since 2017
Math
36.0%
AZ avg 37.8% . +0.0pp since 2017
What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 46 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 36 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Arizona schools, those numbers are about 45 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 8 points since 2017, while math scores have held steady.
AASA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 46.0% | 36.0% |
| 2023-24 | 54.0% | 35.0% |
| 2022-23 | 53.0% | 37.0% |
| 2021-22 | 52.0% | 39.0% |
| 2020-21 | 30.0% | 21.0% |
| 2018-19 | 35.0% | 33.0% |
| 2017-18 | 38.0% | 36.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Desert Ridge High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Arizona | In Maricopa County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 36.0% | #97 of 268 ▼ 1 | #74 of 144 ▼ 4 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 46.0% | #99 of 267 ▼ 30 | #72 of 143 ▼ 20 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -4.5pp | #38 of 220 | #23 of 134 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,103 | #45 of 510 | #39 of 248 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.7:1 | #136 of 279 | #74 of 163 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 58.3% | #108 of 284 | #66 of 163 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -19.9% | #32 of 132 | #20 of 80 |
Ranked against other public high 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 2024-25Enrollment
2,103
+71 (+3%) vs 2020
-16% since 2010-11, when it was 2,514
Student : Teacher
19.7:1
was 18.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2,103 | 106.6 | 19.7:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 2,222 | 110.8 | 20.1:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 2,284 | 98.8 | 23.1:1 | 23% (524) |
| 2020-21 | 2,032 | 110 | 18.5:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 2,626 | 117.1 | 22.4:1 | 23% (603) |
| 2015-16 | 2,768 | 109 | 25.4:1 | 0% (8) |
| 2010-11 | 2,514 | 117 | 21.5:1 | 27% (687) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desert Ridge High.
Since 2017-18: students down 20% (2,626 to 2,103); teachers down 9% (117.1 to 106.6).
About Desert Ridge High
Desert Ridge High is a large high school in Arizona, with an address in MESA. It educates 2,103 students in grades 8 through 12. The typical figure for high schools in Arizona is about 631 students.
The district, Gilbert Unified District (4239), operates 38 schools serving 31,560 students.
Desert Ridge High's enrollment is 57% White. Other groups make up 29% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Black, and 3% Asian. The county population is about 59% White, within a few points of the school. By the diversity index, Desert Ridge High comes in at 58%.
Desert Ridge High operates with 106.6 full-time-equivalent teachers, a ratio of about 19.7:1. High schools in Arizona have a similar average ratio of 20.2:1.
The allk12 Grade for Desert Ridge High is C+. Compared with Arizona public high schools, the school scored higher than 42% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
Among Maricopa County residents, median household income is about $89,300, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 37%, and about 8% of people live in poverty. Desert Ridge High is one of 1,352 public schools in Maricopa County, which together enroll about 725,139 students.
The next-closest public school is Desert Ridge Jr. High, about 0.3 miles away. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of Desert Ridge High.
For locale, NCES codes Desert Ridge High as City: Large.
The 2024-25 enrollment of 2,103 was 3% higher than in 2020-21, when it was 2,032. Federal data show the ratio rising from 18.5:1 to 19.7:1.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at Desert Ridge High. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Maricopa County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
4,559,748
Census ACS
Median income
$89,300
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
1,352
725,139 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Gilbert Unified District (4239)
- Highland High SchoolHigh · 2,992 students
- Gilbert High SchoolHigh · 2,418 students
- Campo Verde High SchoolHigh · 1,863 students
- Mesquite High SchoolHigh · 1,303 students
- Greenfield Junior High SchoolMiddle · 1,160 students
- Highland Jr High SchoolMiddle · 961 students
Other schools in MESA
- Mountain View High SchoolHigh · 3,421 students
- Red Mountain High SchoolHigh · 3,379 students
- Mesa High SchoolHigh · 3,233 students
- Westwood High SchoolHigh · 3,135 students
- Dobson High SchoolHigh · 2,284 students
- Skyline High SchoolHigh · 1,995 students
Nearby schools
- Desert Ridge Jr. High0.3 mi · 925
- Augusta Ranch Elementary0.8 mi · 855
- Canyon Rim Elementary0.9 mi · 905
- Legacy Traditional School - East Mesa1.0 mi · 1,066
- Imagine East Mesa Elementary1.5 mi · 611
- Imagine East Mesa Middle1.5 mi · 140
Frequently asked questions
About Desert Ridge HighHow many students attend Desert Ridge High?
Desert Ridge High enrolls approximately 2,103 students in grades 08-12.
What grades does Desert Ridge High serve?
Desert Ridge High serves grades 08-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Ridge High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Desert Ridge High is approximately 19.7:1 (107 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Desert Ridge High?
Student demographics at Desert Ridge High are roughly 57% White, 29% Hispanic, 3% Black, 3% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Is Desert Ridge High public or private?
Desert Ridge High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Gilbert Unified District (4239).
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.