Desert Ridge Jr. High

Desert Ridge Jr. High is one of the large intermediate schools in MESA, Arizona, part of Gilbert Unified District (4239), with 925 students on its rolls from grades 7 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 494 students per school, that is 87% larger than typical.

Desert Ridge Jr. High is one of 38 schools operated by Gilbert Unified District (4239), a district that teaches 31,560 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Desert Ridge Jr. High shows that 57% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 30% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 4% Black. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Desert Ridge Jr. High reports 48 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 19.4:1. The state averages around 17.8:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Maricopa County shows 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. Across Maricopa County's 1352 public schools (combined enrollment of about 725,139 students), Desert Ridge Jr. High is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Desert Ridge High, around 0.3 miles off. 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 Ridge Jr. High has declined 25%, going from 1,234 students in 2018 to 925 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share edged down from 65% to 57%. Class-load math has tightened: from 22.4:1 in 2018 to 19.4:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Desert Ridge Jr. High community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.