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Desert Willow Elementary School

Q: Is Desert Willow Elementary School a good school?

Desert Willow Elementary School ranks 204 th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

204^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Desert Willow Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Cave Creek, Arizona, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 397 students. The school is part of the Cave Creek Unified District, which is ranked 77 out of 289 districts in Arizona and is rated 4 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Desert Willow Elementary School consistently ranks among the top 20% of Arizona elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 100-237 out of over 1,000 schools in recent years. The school's performance on state assessments (AASA and AzSCI) is generally higher than the state and district averages, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Desert Willow's 5th-grade students scored 54% proficient or better in Science, compared to the state average of 34% and the district average of 54%. The school has a diverse student population, with notable performance among Asian and Hispanic students.

When comparing Desert Willow Elementary School to nearby schools within the same Cave Creek Unified District, such as Horseshoe Trails Elementary School and Lone Mountain Elementary School, the data shows that these schools also perform well academically and have similar demographic and resource profiles. However, when comparing Desert Willow to schools in the neighboring Paradise Valley Unified District, such as Sky Crossing Elementary, Boulder Creek Elementary, and Desert Trails Elementary, the data reveals that these schools generally outperform Desert Willow on state assessments and have higher statewide rankings.

338

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$2,222

Per pupil spending ?

5.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4322 E Desert Willow Parkway
Cave Creek, AZ 85331

(480) 575-2800

District: Cave Creek Unified District

Students who attend Desert Willow Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sonoran Trails Middle School
High:	Cactus Shadows High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.1%

Hispanic:

21.0%

Two or more races:

6.2%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Desert Willow Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 88th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (57% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Arizona elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Cave Creek Unified District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school57%

District avg61%

Arizona avg38%

204^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From top 12% (2015) to top 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Cave Creek Unified District

77^th of 289Cave Creek Unified District among Arizona districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	75.2	204 of 909	77.6%	★★★★☆
2024	83.0	144 of 912	84.2%	★★★★☆
2023	79.2	237 of 1245	81.0%	★★★★☆
2022	78.7	178 of 1000	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	89.7	131 of 1226	89.3%	★★★★☆
2019	82.6	166 of 1039	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	214 of 1109	80.7%	★★★★☆
2017	87.0	136 of 1106	87.7%	★★★★☆
2016	89.1	100 of 1079	90.7%	★★★★★
2015	85.7	112 of 955	88.3%	★★★★☆
2014	89.8	76 of 1079	93.0%	★★★★★
2013	87.9	69 of 1158	94.0%	★★★★★
2012	86.0	88 of 1141	92.3%	★★★★★
2011	91.2	43 of 1075	96.0%	★★★★★
2010	91.9	37 of 1090	96.6%	★★★★★
2009	90.4	41 of 1062	96.1%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	80.8	41 of 620	93.4%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	40.0	464 of 975	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	62.1	189 of 589	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.6	100 of 602	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	81.2	199 of 1219	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	80.0	111 of 824	86.5%	★★★★☆
2021	90.0	97 of 1219	92.0%	★★★★★
2019	72.6	207 of 862	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	73.4	270 of 1023	73.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	84.4	123 of 1170	89.5%	★★★★☆
2022	68.1	218 of 716	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	75.8	188 of 1198	84.3%	★★★★☆
2018	46.3	436 of 911	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	68.8	163 of 626	74.0%	★★★★☆
2024	66.1	182 of 628	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	73.2	285 of 1216	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	81.3	107 of 830	87.1%	★★★★☆
2021	86.3	148 of 1220	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	80.9	134 of 850	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	82.0	181 of 1032	82.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	38.3	430 of 617	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.2	420 of 1027	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	53.1	301 of 820	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.4	197 of 1201	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	36 of 417	91.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	54.7	198 of 465	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.9	192 of 486	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.2	333 of 1024	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.9	226 of 800	71.8%	★★★★☆
2021	81.6	146 of 1161	87.4%	★★★★☆
2019	64.4	188 of 595	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	223 of 720	69.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Asian (2021)93rd percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2023)89th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)74th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)68th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2023)63rd percentile-18 vs school

White (2025)57th percentile-20 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)52nd percentile-37 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)30th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts62%+22 vs state

Science54%+20 vs state

Mathematics53%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Desert Willow Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				AASA English Language Arts (2025)					AASA Mathematics (2025)						AzSCI Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Desert Willow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4322 E Desert Willow Parkway	Cave Creek	85331	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 575-2800	338	23	14.7		237 (70.1%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (21.0%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.2%)	75.2	204^th of 909 public elementary schools	77.6%		83	144^th of 912 public elementary schools	84.2%	60	66.0	61.0	60.0	60.0		39.0	46.0	70.0	58.0			54.0	$2,222	$129	$50	$308	$1,544	$499	$2,043
Lone Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5250 E. Montgomery Rd.	Cave Creek	85331	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 437-3000	376	25	14.9		304 (80.9%)	2 (0.5%)	36 (9.6%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (6.4%)	86.3	105^th of 909 public elementary schools	88.4%		84.4	129^th of 912 public elementary schools	85.9%	24	70.0	67.0	54.0	85.0		81.0	62.0	63.0	66.0			48.0	$2,966	$130	$36	$296	$2,132	$668	$2,801
Black Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	33606 N 60th St	Scottsdale	85266	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 575-2100	496	32	15.5		382 (77.0%)	7 (1.4%)	66 (13.3%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.7%)	85.3	114^th of 909 public elementary schools	87.5%		81.7	151^st of 912 public elementary schools	83.4%	37	67.0	81.0	65.0	51.0		69.0	75.0	75.0	48.0			52.0	$2,686	$103	$48	$254	$2,064	$470	$2,535
Horseshoe Trails Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5405 E. Pinnacle Vista Drive	Phoenix	85054	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 272-8500	424	24	17.7		339 (80.0%)	8 (1.9%)	38 (9.0%)	11 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.4%)	86.7	101^st of 909 public elementary schools	88.9%		86.7	104^th of 912 public elementary schools	88.6%	3	57.0	79.0	73.0	46.0		68.0	78.0	78.0	52.0			70.0	$2,778	$105	$60	$271	$1,959	$653	$2,612
Desert Sun Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	27880 N. 64th Street	Scottsdale	85266	Maricopa County	Cave Creek Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 575-2900	191	14	13.2		139 (72.8%)	3 (1.6%)	39 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.2%)	46.2	418^th of 909 public elementary schools	54.0%		63.8	298^th of 912 public elementary schools	67.3%	120		55.0	37.0					39.0				35.0	$2,495	$80	$57	$216	$1,867	$491	$2,358
Candeo North Scottsdale	Public, Charter	K-8	7191 E Ashler Hills Dr	Scottsdale	85266	Maricopa County	Candeo Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 923-9963	70	16	4.3		55 (78.6%)	1 (1.4%)	4 (5.7%)	4 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.6%)								(n/a)														$00			$00
Wildfire Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3997 E Lockwood Dr	Phoenix	85050	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-4300	394	29	13.8		304 (77.2%)	5 (1.3%)	53 (13.5%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (5.3%)	92.4	54^th of 909 public elementary schools	94.1%		90.3	68^th of 912 public elementary schools	92.5%	14	86.0	88.0	65.0	76.0		80.0	78.0	68.0	56.0			56.0	$8,321	$181	$170	$533	$7,526	$444	$7,970
Stepping Stones Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	35812 N 7th St	Phoenix	85086	Maricopa County	Stepping Stones Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 465-4910	221				191 (86.4%)	1 (0.5%)	21 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.7%)	93.3	47^th of 909 public elementary schools	94.8%		96.4	18^th of 912 public elementary schools	98.0%	29	92.0	66.0	96.0	59.0	48.0	87.0	81.0		77.0	96.0	88.0			$00			$00
Desert Trails Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-7	4315 E Cashman Dr	Phoenix	85050	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-4100	590	41	14.2		425 (72.0%)	8 (1.4%)	71 (12.0%)	38 (6.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (7.5%)	97.1	9^th of 909 public elementary schools	99.0%		97.5	9^th of 912 public elementary schools	99.0%		72.0	76.0	80.0	93.0		81.0	80.0	94.0	96.0			66.0	$8,573	$387	$135	$908	$7,715	$337	$8,052
Sky Crossing Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3300 E. Sky Crossing Way	Phoenix	85050	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-5900	628	42	14.7		461 (73.4%)	7 (1.1%)	58 (9.2%)	50 (8.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.0%)	95.3	30^th of 909 public elementary schools	96.7%		94.7	33^rd of 912 public elementary schools	96.4%	3	67.0	74.0	82.0	83.0		74.0	79.0	78.0	68.0			70.0	$9,058	$234	$220	$688	$7,519	$1,085	$8,604

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Willow Elementary School

How many students attend Desert Willow Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 338 students attended Desert Willow Elementary School.

Is Desert Willow Elementary School a good school?

Desert Willow Elementary School ranks 204^th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Desert Willow Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Desert Willow Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sonoran Trails Middle School
High : Cactus Shadows High School

What district is Desert Willow Elementary School in?

Cave Creek Unified District

What is the racial makeup of Desert Willow Elementary School?

Students at Desert Willow Elementary School are 70% White, 21% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.