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What's one thing Desert Shadows Middle School gets right about preparing students for what comes next?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
784
Middle
DISTRICT 666 · STATE 494
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NOGALES UNIFIED DISTRICT (4457)·NCES 040553001238
Desert Shadows Middle School
340 Blvd. del Rey David, Nogales, AZ 85621 · (520) 377-2646 · Santa Cruz County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL784 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 82% of Arizona public middle 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.
- AThree-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 middle schools
Student : Teacher
23.1:1
34 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.5:1 · STATE 17.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 95%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 261 | 33% |
| Grade 7 | 254 | 32% |
| Grade 8 | 269 | 34% |
Student demographics
1%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 1% · 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
47.0%
AZ avg 45.4% . +13.0pp since 2017
Math
32.0%
AZ avg 37.8% . -13.0pp since 2017
What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 47 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 32 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 13 points since 2017, while math scores are down about 13 points.
AASA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 47.0% | 32.0% |
| 2023-24 | 42.0% | 29.0% |
| 2022-23 | 43.0% | 33.0% |
| 2021-22 | 40.0% | 28.0% |
| 2020-21 | 25.0% | 14.0% |
| 2018-19 | 38.0% | 41.0% |
| 2017-18 | 34.0% | 45.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Desert Shadows Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 32.0% | #51 of 190 ▲ 8 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 47.0% | #54 of 190 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +5.5pp | #26 of 160 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 784 | #36 of 214 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.1:1 | #170 of 179 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 1.3% | #178 of 182 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +7.4% | #27 of 41 |
Ranked against other public middle 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
784
0 (0%) vs 2020
+27% since 1990-91, when it was 619
Student : Teacher
23.1:1
was 21.2:1
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 | 784 | 34 | 23.1:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 765 | 34 | 22.5:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 760 | 35 | 21.7:1 | 75% (569) |
| 2020-21 | 784 | 37 | 21.2:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 730 | N/A | N/A | 75% (546) |
| 2015-16 | 690 | 34 | 20.3:1 | 100% (688) |
| 2010-11 | 769 | 32 | 24.0:1 | 77% (595) |
| 2000-01 | 782 | 34 | 23.0:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 619 | 30 | 20.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desert Shadows Middle School.
About Desert Shadows Middle School
Located in Nogales, Arizona, Desert Shadows Middle School is a large middle school. Enrollment is 784 students in 2024-25, and the school serves grades 6 through 8. Against the 494-student average for middle schools in Arizona, enrollment here is 59% higher.
Desert Shadows Middle School is one school in an 11-school district, Nogales Unified District (4457), which enrolls 5,696 students.
At Desert Shadows Middle School, Hispanic students make up 99% of the student body. Among all residents of Santa Cruz County, the Hispanic share is about 83%. Desert Shadows Middle School has a diversity index of 1%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Federal records show a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.1:1 at Desert Shadows Middle School, with 34 full-time-equivalent teachers. Among middle schools in Arizona, the typical ratio is 17.8:1.
Measured against Arizona public middle schools, Desert Shadows Middle School receives an A-. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Santa Cruz County census figures show that median household income is about $55,217, about 23% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 16%. A total of 31 public schools operate in Santa Cruz County, serving about 10,432 students.
The next-closest public school is Robert Bracker Elementary, about 0.1 miles away. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of Desert Shadows Middle School.
Under the NCES locale system, Desert Shadows Middle School is Rural: Fringe.
Federal data show 784 students in 2020-21 and 784 in 2024-25, a difference of under 3%. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the ratio rose from 21.2:1 to 23.1:1.
Discussions about Desert Shadows Middle School may include school safety, transportation, and start times. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Santa Cruz County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
48,926
Census ACS
Median income
$55,217
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
23%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
16%
Below federal line
Schools in county
31
10,432 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Nogales Unified District (4457)
- Nogales High SchoolHigh · 1,774 students
- Wade Carpenter Middle SchoolMiddle · 547 students
- Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary SchoolElementary · 508 students
- Lincoln Elementary SchoolElementary · 421 students
- Mary L Welty Elementary SchoolElementary · 381 students
- Challenger Elementary SchoolElementary · 380 students
Other schools in Nogales
- Nogales High SchoolHigh · 1,774 students
- Wade Carpenter Middle SchoolMiddle · 547 students
- Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary SchoolElementary · 508 students
- Lincoln Elementary SchoolElementary · 421 students
- Mary L Welty Elementary SchoolElementary · 381 students
- Challenger Elementary SchoolElementary · 380 students
Other Desert Shadows Middle schools
One other US public school is named Desert Shadows Middle. Desert Shadows Middle School is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Desert Shadows Middle SchoolSCOTTSDALE, AZ · 791 students
Nearby schools
- Robert Bracker Elementary0.1 mi · 272
- Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School2.0 mi · 508
- Calabasas School2.4 mi · 917
- Nogales High School2.7 mi · 1,774
- Mexicayotl Charter School3.1 mi · 168
- Pinnacle Charter High School3.2 mi · 52
Frequently asked questions
About Desert Shadows Middle SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School enrolls approximately 784 students in grades 06-08.
Is Desert Shadows Middle School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Desert Shadows Middle School is a middle school covering grades 06-08.
How many teachers does Desert Shadows Middle School have?
Desert Shadows Middle School employs 34 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.1:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Desert Shadows Middle School?
At Desert Shadows Middle School, the student body is approximately 0% White, 99% Hispanic, 0% Black, 0% Asian.
Who oversees Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School is overseen by Nogales Unified District (4457) in Santa Cruz County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.