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Desert Thunder

Q: Is Desert Thunder a good school?

Desert Thunder ranks 656 th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

656^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Desert Thunder is an elementary school located in Goodyear, Arizona, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 946 students. It is part of the Avondale Elementary District, which is ranked 193 out of 289 districts in Arizona and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past 10 years, Desert Thunder's statewide ranking has fluctuated between 404 and 656 out of around 1,000 Arizona elementary schools, with a current 1-star rating.

Desert Thunder's test scores are generally below the Avondale Elementary District and Arizona state averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2024-2025, only 27% of 5th graders were proficient or better in Science, compared to 23% for the district and 34% statewide. The school has also had relatively high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 2.3% to 6.1%, which are higher than the state average. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Desert Thunder has increased from 19.86% in 2021-2022 to 49.95% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

When compared to other nearby schools in the Avondale Elementary District, Desert Thunder generally performs worse on test scores and other metrics. For instance, Wildflower Accelerated Academy, located just 1.16 miles away, consistently outperforms Desert Thunder across all grade levels and subjects. The charter schools in the area, such as BASIS Goodyear Primary and The Odyssey Preparatory Academy Goodyear, also significantly outperform Desert Thunder on test scores, with proficiency rates often 20-30 percentage points higher.

928

Students ?

25.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,127

Per pupil spending ?

49.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

16750 W Garfield St
Goodyear, AZ 85338-6287

(623) 772-4700

District: Avondale Elementary District

Students who attend Desert Thunder usually attend:

High:

Verrado High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

61.5%

White:

18.3%

African American:

14.9%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Desert Thunder to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 40th percentile in 2015 → 28th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (30% vs 36% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg31%

Arizona avg36%

Elementary school

656^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 40% (2015) to bottom 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

306^th of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Avondale Elementary District

193^rd of 289Avondale Elementary 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	23.0	656 of 909	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.0	568 of 912	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	585 of 1245	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.7	422 of 1000	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.2	585 of 1226	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.8	486 of 1039	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.8	535 of 1109	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.2	535 of 1106	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	60.2	404 of 1079	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	34.4	577 of 955	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	43.2	619 of 1079	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.2	665 of 1158	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.8	534 of 1141	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.8	483 of 1075	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	42.7	624 of 1090	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	43.0	628 of 1062	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	40.2	371 of 607	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.6	235 of 289	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.2	336 of 895	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.2	23 of 100	77.0%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	42.5	161 of 270	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.9	292 of 620	52.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	40.9	207 of 451	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.3	545 of 975	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	17.0	503 of 589	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.6	449 of 602	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.5	546 of 1219	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.9	403 of 824	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.7	608 of 1219	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.2	500 of 862	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.7	587 of 1023	42.6%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	63.6	31 of 306	89.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	28.9	337 of 496	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.1	287 of 486	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.2	566 of 1170	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.9	362 of 716	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.7	503 of 1198	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.4	294 of 709	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.1	412 of 911	54.8%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	33.0	248 of 423	41.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	26.3	407 of 549	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.8	274 of 556	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.8	521 of 1116	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.0	257 of 618	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.7	362 of 820	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	13.6	545 of 626	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	570 of 628	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	43.0	623 of 1216	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.3	435 of 830	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.3	542 of 1220	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.8	461 of 850	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.7	505 of 1032	51.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	51.2	279 of 617	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.8	521 of 1027	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	28.3	545 of 654	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	26.6	642 of 820	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.4	564 of 1201	53.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	29.7	367 of 486	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.1	519 of 1024	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.3	356 of 800	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.5	524 of 1161	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.8	385 of 595	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.1	503 of 720	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	34.1	306 of 552	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	250 of 550	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	340 of 854	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	206 of 605	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.4	214 of 832	74.3%	★★★★☆
2019	70.6	164 of 605	72.9%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	185 of 711	74.0%	★★★★☆
2017	53.7	265 of 695	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.0	218 of 677	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	33.7	301 of 521	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	58.2	273 of 690	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.2	354 of 787	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.2	279 of 772	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.5	272 of 685	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	50.1	331 of 692	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	54.0	296 of 663	55.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	46.9	187 of 400	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.5	59 of 573	89.7%	★★★★☆
2018	60.4	33 of 125	73.6%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	61.0	79 of 247	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.3	104 of 192	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	66.2	119 of 404	70.5%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	41.7	298 of 606	50.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	41.9	202 of 395	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.0	176 of 386	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	329 of 806	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	177 of 494	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.0	230 of 820	72.0%	★★★★☆
2019	67.8	136 of 466	70.8%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	166 of 624	73.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	47.2	147 of 345	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.1	111 of 329	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.7	306 of 760	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.3	121 of 392	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.9	158 of 802	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	75.5	75 of 387	80.6%	★★★★☆
2018	81.3	65 of 543	88.0%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	66.2	25 of 257	90.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	43.1	160 of 344	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.3	66 of 320	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	53.7	249 of 717	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.1	124 of 369	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.0	82 of 503	83.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	23.7	276 of 379	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.3	221 of 370	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.5	350 of 810	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.8	166 of 476	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.4	202 of 818	75.3%	★★★★☆
2019	59.2	159 of 435	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.6	182 of 617	70.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	59.9	128 of 384	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.8	196 of 650	69.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	33.6	214 of 363	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.6	152 of 789	80.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	44.1	354 of 675	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.3	189 of 446	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.6	221 of 780	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	62.3	113 of 337	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.3	111 of 436	74.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Foster Care (2021)90th percentile+38 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)55th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2023)54th percentile~ school

Homeless (2021)41st percentile-11 vs school

Asian (2022)40th percentile-17 vs school

African American (2023)39th percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2025)32nd percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)26th percentile~ school

White (2024)24th percentile-13 vs school

Special Education (2023)22nd percentile-31 vs school

Native American (2021)17th percentile-36 vs school

Female (2025)15th percentile-13 vs school

Male (2025)13th percentile-15 vs school

Middle school

Homeless (2021)90th percentile+16 vs school

Asian (2023)68th percentile+8 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)67th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)57th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)53rd percentile+9 vs school

African American (2023)53rd percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)51st percentile-23 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile+4 vs school

White (2023)48th percentile-13 vs school

Special Education (2023)41st percentile-19 vs school

Male (2025)27th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-4 vs state

Science32%~ state avg

Mathematics24%-10 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 15, 2018

Desert Thunder has been a great school for my kids! The teachers challenge the students on their level, help them to set goals, and provide extra help when they are having trouble. So happy with my choice to bring my kids here, after taking them out of one of the near charter schools that just told me to pay for outside tutoring when one of my kids had trouble with math. Desert Thunder really cares about meeting their needs! Close Quote

Schools Near Desert Thunder

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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 English Language Arts 8th 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	AzSCI Science 8th 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 Thunder	Public	PK, KG-8	16750 W Garfield St	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	Avondale Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-4700	928	37	25.1		170 (18.3%)	138 (14.9%)	571 (61.5%)	14 (1.5%)	8 (0.9%)	5 (0.5%)	22 (2.4%)	23	656^th of 909 public elementary schools	27.8%		31	568^th of 912 public elementary schools	37.7%	88	27.0	41.0	30.0	31.0	39.0	50.0	36.0	30.0	24.0	11.0	19.0	24.0	27.0	38.0	$10,127	$868	$394	$2,131	$6,931	$1,933	$8,864
Incito Schools	Public, Charter	K-8	877 N Sarival Ave	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	Incito Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 819-7170	179	9	19.8		53 (29.6%)	15 (8.4%)	97 (54.2%)	3 (1.7%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.0%)								(n/a)																$00			$00
Copper Trails	Public	PK, KG-8	16875 W Canyon Trails Blvd	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	Avondale Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-4100	1,020	36	28.7		240 (23.5%)	82 (8.0%)	628 (61.6%)	32 (3.1%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	30 (2.9%)	29.4	566^th of 909 public elementary schools	37.7%		31.6	564^th of 912 public elementary schools	38.2%	2	30.0	46.0	24.0	52.0	51.0	46.0	46.0	27.0	20.0	20.0	30.0	34.0	21.0	33.0	$8,325	$617	$411	$1,644	$5,768	$1,529	$7,297
Wildflower Accelerated Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	325 S Wildflower Dr	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	Avondale Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-5205	750	29	25.8		148 (19.7%)	109 (14.5%)	437 (58.3%)	10 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	16 (2.1%)	27 (3.6%)	36.9	491^st of 909 public elementary schools	46.0%		58.2	346^th of 912 public elementary schools	62.1%	145	42.0	41.0	31.0	63.0	71.0	57.0	53.0	26.0	22.0	19.0	66.0	48.0	27.0	44.0	$10,590	$889	$541	$2,319	$7,159	$2,001	$9,160
The Odyssey Preparatory Academy Goodyear	Public, Charter	K-5	17532 W Harrison St	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	The Odyssey Preparatory Academy Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 882-1140	522	31	16.8		187 (35.8%)	33 (6.3%)	250 (47.9%)	9 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	39 (7.5%)	69.8	255^th of 909 public elementary schools	71.9%		73.3	215^th of 912 public elementary schools	76.4%	40	47.0	68.0	49.0				58.0	64.0	53.0				38.0		$5,421	$282	$143	$707	$3,442	$1,554	$4,996
BASIS Goodyear Primary	Public, Charter	K-5	15800 W Sherman St	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	BASIS Charter Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 276-8592	657	43	15.2		145 (22.1%)	133 (20.2%)	220 (33.5%)	113 (17.2%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (6.2%)	87.6	91^st of 909 public elementary schools	90.0%		77.8	184^th of 912 public elementary schools	79.8%	93	58.0	68.0	76.0				65.0	58.0	78.0				62.0		$7,553	$191	$04	$385	$4,477	$2,882	$7,359
Centerra Mirage STEM Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	15151 W Centerra Dr S	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	Avondale Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-4800	659	25	26.1		92 (14.0%)	81 (12.3%)	430 (65.3%)	20 (3.0%)	5 (0.8%)	5 (0.8%)	26 (3.9%)	31.1	552^nd of 909 public elementary schools	39.3%		38.1	493^rd of 912 public elementary schools	45.9%	59	31.0	34.0	33.0	39.0	30.0	39.0	32.0	34.0	52.0	18.0	18.0	19.0	28.0	24.0	$9,882	$708	$474	$1,890	$6,481	$2,219	$8,700
Somerset Academy Skyway Campus	Public, Charter	K-8	14900 W Van Buren St	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	Somerset Academy Arizona Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 208-4629	143	12	11.9		31 (21.7%)	6 (4.2%)	97 (67.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	6 (4.2%)								(n/a)																$00			$00
Desert Star	Public	PK, KG-8	2131 S 157th Ave	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	Avondale Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-4600	637	31	20.8		145 (22.8%)	80 (12.6%)	379 (59.5%)	5 (0.8%)	6 (0.9%)	4 (0.6%)	18 (2.8%)	28.5	575^th of 909 public elementary schools	36.7%		23.6	644^th of 912 public elementary schools	29.4%	69	20.0	41.0	36.0	39.0	54.0	52.0	37.0	33.0	25.0	33.0	32.0	46.0	23.0	41.0	$11,076	$957	$595	$2,509	$7,418	$2,106	$9,524
Legacy Traditional School - Goodyear	Public, Charter	K-8	16060 W Lower Buckeye Rd	Goodyear	85338	Maricopa County	Legacy Traditional School - Goodyear	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 233-1100	585	32	18.2		158 (27.0%)	60 (10.3%)	312 (53.3%)	12 (2.1%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.7%)	75.7	199^th of 909 public elementary schools	78.1%		53.6	379^th of 912 public elementary schools	58.4%	180	53.0	58.0	56.0	61.0			68.0	65.0	64.0	43.0			43.0			$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Thunder

How many students attend Desert Thunder?

In the 2024-25 school year, 928 students attended Desert Thunder.

Is Desert Thunder a good school?

Desert Thunder ranks 656^th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Desert Thunder attend?

Students who attend Desert Thunder usually go on to attend:

High : Verrado High School

What is the racial makeup of Desert Thunder?

Students at Desert Thunder are 62% Hispanic, 18% White, 15% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Desert Thunder in?

Avondale Elementary District

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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.