1
Which teacher or staff member at Desert Sky Middle School deserves more recognition?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
743
Middle
DISTRICT 721 · STATE 494
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·VAIL UNIFIED DISTRICT (4413)·NCES 040885002194
Desert Sky Middle School
9850 E RANKIN LOOP, TUCSON, AZ 85747 · (520) 879-2700 · Pima County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE11-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL743 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 85% of Arizona public middle schools
- ATest 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.
- CThree-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
20.3:1
37 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 20.2:1 · 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 | 212 | 29% |
| Grade 7 | 270 | 36% |
| Grade 8 | 261 | 35% |
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 62% · 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
62.0%
AZ avg 45.4% . -5.0pp since 2017
Math
47.0%
AZ avg 37.8% . -26.0pp since 2017
What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 62 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 47 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 5 points since 2017, while math scores are down about 26 points.
AASA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 62.0% | 47.0% |
| 2023-24 | 58.0% | 54.0% |
| 2022-23 | 63.0% | 56.0% |
| 2021-22 | 60.0% | 54.0% |
| 2020-21 | 50.0% | 44.0% |
| 2018-19 | 64.0% | 71.0% |
| 2017-18 | 67.0% | 73.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Desert Sky Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Arizona | In Pima County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 47.0% | #27 of 190 ▼ 15 | #5 of 34 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 62.0% | #18 of 190 ▲ 1 | #5 of 34 ▲ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -2.5pp | #58 of 160 | #7 of 26 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 743 | #44 of 214 | #7 of 41 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.3:1 | #131 of 179 | #29 of 31 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 64.4% | #28 of 182 | #7 of 31 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +0.8% | #41 of 41 | #9 of 9 |
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
743
-18 (-2%) vs 2020
+12% since 2010-11, when it was 664
Student : Teacher
20.3:1
was 20.6:1
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 | 743 | 36.6 | 20.3:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 761 | 37.1 | 20.5:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 764 | 38.8 | 19.7:1 | 24% (182) |
| 2020-21 | 761 | 37 | 20.6:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 737 | 41.3 | 17.8:1 | 75% (552) |
| 2015-16 | 774 | 39 | 19.9:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 664 | 31 | 21.4:1 | 20% (133) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desert Sky Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students up 1% (737 to 743); teachers down 12% (41.3 to 36.6).
About Desert Sky Middle School
Desert Sky Middle School is classified as a middle-grades school. It is located in TUCSON, Arizona. It serves 743 students in grades 6 through 8. For comparison, middle schools in Arizona average about 494 students.
The district, Vail Unified District (4413), has 15,011 students enrolled across 24 schools.
At Desert Sky Middle School, the largest share of students is Hispanic, at 44%. It is also 39% White, 9% multiracial, 4% Black, and 2% Asian. Desert Sky Middle School's diversity index is 64%, against a US figure of 70%.
The teaching staff at Desert Sky Middle School is 36.6 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 20.3:1. The school has more students per teacher than the 17.8:1 average for middle schools in Arizona.
The allk12 Grade for Desert Sky Middle School is A. Compared with Arizona public middle schools, the school scored higher than 85% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Pima County show that the median household income is $70,315, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Desert Sky Middle School is one of 398 public schools in the county.
Desert Willow Elementary School is located about 0.6 miles from Desert Sky Middle School. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as City: Large, meaning it is inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
Enrollment was essentially flat over 4 years: 761 in 2020-21, 743 in 2024-25.
The discussion area below is open to posts about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Pima County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,060,490
Census ACS
Median income
$70,315
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
398
140,692 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Vail Unified District (4413)
- Cienega High SchoolHigh · 1,881 students
- Mica Mountain HighHigh · 1,319 students
- Empire High SchoolHigh · 886 students
- Andrada Polytechnic High SchoolHigh · 836 students
- Desert Willow Elementary SchoolElementary · 811 students
- Old Vail Middle SchoolMiddle · 811 students
Other schools in TUCSON
- Tucson Magnet High SchoolHigh · 2,938 students
- Marana High SchoolHigh · 2,437 students
- Sunnyside High SchoolHigh · 2,258 students
- Desert View High SchoolHigh · 2,102 students
- Pima County Schools Superintendent's Diploma ProgramHigh · 2,058 students
- Catalina Foothills High SchoolHigh · 1,865 students
Other Desert Sky Middle schools
One other US public school is named Desert Sky Middle. Desert Sky Middle School is the largest of the 2.
- Desert Sky Middle SchoolGLENDALE, AZ · 640 students
Nearby schools
- Desert Willow Elementary School0.6 mi · 811
- Mesquite Elementary School0.8 mi · 640
- Cottonwood Elementary School0.9 mi · 570
- Mica Mountain High1.3 mi · 1,319
- PCJTED - Mica Mountain High School1.3 mi · 1
- Vail Inclusive Preschool Mica Mountain1.4 mi · 72
Frequently asked questions
About Desert Sky Middle SchoolHow large is Desert Sky Middle School?
Desert Sky Middle School enrolls approximately 743 students in grades 06-08.
Is Desert Sky Middle School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Desert Sky Middle School is a middle school covering grades 06-08.
How many teachers does Desert Sky Middle School have?
Desert Sky Middle School employs 37 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 20.3:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Desert Sky Middle School?
At Desert Sky Middle School, the student body is approximately 39% White, 44% Hispanic, 4% Black, 2% Asian, 9% Two or more.
Is Desert Sky Middle School public or private?
Desert Sky Middle School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Vail Unified District (4413).
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.