Desert Trails Elementary School

Desert Trails Elementary School is one of the moderately sized elementary schools in PHOENIX, Arizona, one of the schools within Paradise Valley Unified District (4241), with 590 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 7. Enrollment runs roughly 31% bigger than the state mean of about 451.

Within Paradise Valley Unified District (4241), which oversees 42 schools and 26,183 students, Desert Trails Elementary School is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Desert Trails Elementary School shows that 72% of the student body identifies as White; the rest is composed of 12% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 6% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 59% White, putting the school's mix considerably more White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school employs 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.2:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 17.0:1 average.

Across the wider county, census data for Maricopa County shows the typical household earns roughly $89,300 per year, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. In all, Maricopa County runs 1352 public schools (combined enrollment of about 725,139 students), of which Desert Trails Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Explorer Middle School, around 0.4 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

Desert Trails Elementary School operates from a city-core location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Desert Trails Elementary School has stayed largely flat, going from 576 students in 2018 to 590 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 77% to 72% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 16.0:1 in 2018 to 14.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.