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Best kept secret at Desert Willow Elementary School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
505
Elementary
DISTRICT 452 · STATE 451
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CASA GRANDE ELEMENTARY DISTRICT (4446)·NCES 040171002574
Desert Willow Elementary School
2172 N ARIZOLA RD, CASA GRANDE, AZ 85122 · (520) 876-5397 · Pinal County
GRADES PK–08ELEMENTARY13-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL505 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 10% of Arizona public elementary schools
- C-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.
- FThree-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 elementary schools
Student : Teacher
22.0:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.1:1 · STATE 17.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 95%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 44 | 9% |
| Kindergarten | 75 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 62 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 82 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 67 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 76 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 92 | 18% |
| Grade 6 | 2 | 0% |
| Grade 7 | 2 | 0% |
| Ungraded | 3 | 1% |
Student demographics
58%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 54% · 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 2023-24 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
26.0%
AZ avg 42.2% . -26.0pp since 2017
Math
16.0%
AZ avg 35.1% . -33.0pp since 2017
What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 26 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 16 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Arizona schools, those numbers are about 42 and 35. Reading and writing scores are down about 26 points since 2017, while math scores are down about 33 points.
AASA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 26.0% | 16.0% |
| 2022-23 | 28.0% | 25.0% |
| 2021-22 | 40.0% | 30.0% |
| 2020-21 | 40.0% | 37.0% |
| 2018-19 | 54.0% | 49.0% |
| 2017-18 | 52.0% | 49.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Desert Willow Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Arizona | In Pinal County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 16.0% | #843 of 1,072 ▼ 224 | #37 of 54 ▼ 17 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 26.0% | #750 of 1,072 ▼ 52 | #34 of 54 ▼ 6 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -17.5pp | #7 of 930 | #1 of 44 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 505 | #487 of 1,223 | #29 of 62 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.0:1 | #908 of 991 | #46 of 53 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 58.4% | #359 of 1,007 | #31 of 53 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -5.4% | #623 of 721 | #24 of 29 |
Ranked against other public elementary 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
505
+67 (+15%) vs 2020
-18% since 2010-11, when it was 614
Student : Teacher
22.0:1
was 19.9:1
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 | 505 | 23 | 22.0:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 465 | 21 | 22.1:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 471 | 23 | 20.5:1 | 54% (254) |
| 2020-21 | 438 | 22 | 19.9:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 534 | 22.5 | 23.7:1 | 61% (325) |
| 2015-16 | 549 | 27 | 20.3:1 | 41% (227) |
| 2010-11 | 614 | 32 | 19.2:1 | 47% (289) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desert Willow Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 5% (534 to 505); teachers up 2% (22.5 to 23).
About Desert Willow Elementary School
Desert Willow Elementary School is a medium-sized elementary school for students in CASA GRANDE, Arizona. Its 505 students are spread across pre-K through 8.
The 13 schools in Casa Grande Elementary District (4446) enroll 6,630 students altogether, Desert Willow Elementary School among them.
Hispanic students make up a majority at Desert Willow Elementary School, at 57%. The next largest groups are 29% White, 6% Black, 4% multiracial, and 3% Native American. In Pinal County overall, about 30% of residents are Hispanic. Pick two students at random and there is a 58% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Its 23 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 22.0:1. The school has more students per teacher than the 17.0:1 average for elementary schools in Arizona.
The allk12 Grade for Desert Willow Elementary School is D. Compared with Arizona public elementary schools, the school scored higher than 10% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
Within Pinal County, the median household income is $80,266, about 23% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 8%. In all, Pinal County has 155 public schools and roughly 63,837 students.
Cactus Middle School is the public school closest to Desert Willow Elementary School, about 1.3 miles away. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles.
NCES lists the school's locale as City: Small. That means it sits inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
Over 4 years, Desert Willow Elementary School's enrollment climbed 15%, to 505. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio rose to 22.0:1, from 19.9:1.
Posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Pinal County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
469,006
Census ACS
Median income
$80,266
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
23%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
155
63,837 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Casa Grande Elementary District (4446)
- Cactus Middle SchoolMiddle · 737 students
- Villago Middle SchoolMiddle · 723 students
- McCartney Ranch Elementary SchoolElementary · 668 students
- Casa Grande Middle SchoolMiddle · 648 students
- Palo Verde SchoolElementary · 548 students
- Cottonwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 515 students
Other schools in CASA GRANDE
- Vista Grande High SchoolHigh · 1,943 students
- Casa Grande Union High SchoolHigh · 1,912 students
- Legacy Traditional School - Casa GrandeElementary · 1,486 students
- The Grande InnovationElementary · 833 students
- Cactus Middle SchoolMiddle · 737 students
- Villago Middle SchoolMiddle · 723 students
Other Desert Willow Elementary schools
5 other US public schools in 3 states are named Desert Willow Elementary. Desert Willow Elementary School is the 3rd largest of the 6.
- Desert Willow Elementary SchoolTUCSON, AZ · 811 students
- Desert Willow Elementary SchoolKINGMAN, AZ · 388 students
- Desert Willow Elementary SchoolCave Creek, AZ · 338 students
- DESERT WILLOW ELEMENTARYCARLSBAD, NM · 667 students
- Desert Willow Elementary SchoolLas Vegas, NV · 4 students
Nearby schools
- Cactus Middle School1.3 mi · 737
- Cholla Elementary School1.5 mi · 458
- Vista Grande High School1.5 mi · 1,943
- Legacy Traditional School - Casa Grande1.5 mi · 1,486
- Mission Heights Preparatory High School1.7 mi · 551
- Pinnacle High School - Casa Grande1.8 mi · 26
Frequently asked questions
About Desert Willow Elementary SchoolHow many students attend Desert Willow Elementary School?
Desert Willow Elementary School enrolls approximately 505 students in grades PK-08.
What grades does Desert Willow Elementary School serve?
Desert Willow Elementary School serves grades PK-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Willow Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Desert Willow Elementary School is approximately 22.0:1 (23 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Desert Willow Elementary School?
Desert Willow Elementary School reports a student body of 29% White, 57% Hispanic, 6% Black, 1% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Is Desert Willow Elementary School public or private?
Desert Willow Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Casa Grande Elementary District (4446).
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.