1
Enrollment
441
Elementary
DISTRICT 491 · STATE 380
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 530732003901
Desert Sky Elementary
2100 Sunshine Avenue, West Richland, WA 99353 · (509) 967-6225 · Benton County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL441 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
17.6:1
25 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.5:1 · STATE 17.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
20%
89 students
DISTRICT 43% · STATE 51%
Community
1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 59 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 66 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 73 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 81 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 83 | 19% |
| Grade 5 | 79 | 18% |
This year's kindergarten class (59) is 25% smaller than its 5th grade class (79).
Student demographics
38%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 51% · STATE 68% · 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
Smarter Balanced + WCAS 2022-23 . % Met or Exceeded StandardEnglish Language Arts
69.6%
WA avg 49.0%
Math
63.8%
WA avg 39.2%
What this means: On the Smarter Balanced + WCAS, Washington's statewide test, about 70 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 64 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Washington schools, those numbers are about 49 and 39.
Source: Smarter Balanced + WCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like Desert Sky Elementary
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Sky Elementary this school | 441 | 20.2% | N/A |
| Sherman Elementary School Tacoma | 432 | 19.4% | 70.0% |
| Purdy Elementary School Gig Harbor | 483 | 20.7% | 75.6% |
| Cottonwood Elementary Kennewick | 474 | 21.1% | N/A |
| Helen Baller Elem Camas | 487 | 21.8% | N/A |
| Fall City Elementary FALL CITY | 456 | 16.9% | 78.3% |
Matched among Washington elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Desert Sky Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Washington | In Benton County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 63.8% | #212 of 1,103 | #4 of 33 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 69.6% | #163 of 1,102 | #4 of 33 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 441 | #480 of 1,268 | #19 of 36 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.6:1 | #930 of 1,085 | #29 of 34 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.5% | #948 of 1,088 | #30 of 34 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 20.2% | #1,033 of 1,169 | #34 of 36 |
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.
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 441 | 25 | 17.6:1 | 20% (89) |
| 2023-24 | 426 | 25 | 17.0:1 | 18% (77) |
| 2022-23 | 408 | 25 | 16.3:1 | 19% (78) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desert Sky Elementary.
About Desert Sky Elementary
In West Richland, Washington, Desert Sky Elementary is a medium-sized elementary school. The school's enrollment of 441 students covers kindergarten through 5.
Richland School District enrolls 14,410 students in 22 schools, including Desert Sky Elementary.
White students are the majority at Desert Sky Elementary, with 77% of enrollment. Other groups include 13% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, and 3% Asian. Desert Sky Elementary's diversity index is 38%, against a US figure of 70%.
The teaching staff at Desert Sky Elementary is 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 17.6:1. For comparison, elementary schools in Washington average 17.3:1. About 20% of students, or 89, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Public schools in Benton County average 49%.
Benton County has about 212,905 residents, and the median household income is $89,874, about 33% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 8%. In all, Benton County has 69 public schools and roughly 38,191 students.
The closest other public school is Special Programs, about 0.5 miles away. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools.
Under the NCES locale system, Desert Sky Elementary is Rural: Fringe.
Community posts for Desert Sky Elementary can cover school safety, transportation, and start times. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Benton County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
212,905
Census ACS
Median income
$89,874
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
33%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
69
38,191 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Richland School District
- Richland High SchoolHigh · 2,218 students
- Hanford High SchoolHigh · 1,959 students
- Leona Libby Middle SchoolMiddle · 805 students
- Carmichael Middle SchoolMiddle · 791 students
- Three Rivers Home LinkCombined · 756 students
- Enterprise Middle SchoolMiddle · 745 students
Other schools in West Richland
- Leona Libby Middle SchoolMiddle · 805 students
- Enterprise Middle SchoolMiddle · 745 students
- William Wiley Elementary SchoolElementary · 493 students
- Tapteal Elementary SchoolElementary · 458 students
- Pacific Crest Online AcademyCombined · 325 students
- Special ProgramsCombined · 14 students
Nearby schools
- Special Programs0.5 mi · 14
- Leona Libby Middle School0.6 mi · 805
- Enterprise Middle School0.9 mi · 745
- William Wiley Elementary School0.9 mi · 493
- Tapteal Elementary School1.8 mi · 458
- White Bluffs Elementary School3.1 mi · 653
Frequently asked questions
About Desert Sky ElementaryHow large is Desert Sky Elementary?
Desert Sky Elementary enrolls approximately 441 students in grades KG-05.
Is Desert Sky Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
Desert Sky Elementary is an elementary school covering grades KG-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sky Elementary?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Desert Sky Elementary is approximately 17.6:1 (25 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Desert Sky Elementary?
Desert Sky Elementary reports a student body of 77% White, 13% Hispanic, 0% Black, 3% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is Desert Sky Elementary in?
Desert Sky Elementary is part of Richland School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.