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Arizona Desert Elementary School

Public Grades K-6

698^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 23% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Arizona Desert Elementary School is a public elementary school in San Luis, Arizona, serving 651 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Gadsden Elementary District, which is ranked 222 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite its location, Arizona Desert Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Arizona elementary schools, with performance on state assessments (AASA and AzSCI) significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 12% of 5th-grade students were proficient in science, compared to the state average of 34%. Compared to nearby schools in the Gadsden Elementary District, Arizona Desert Elementary School generally performs worse on state assessments, with lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

The school faces several challenges, including a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (95.87% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) and a diverse student population with a majority of Hispanic students and a smaller percentage of White students. The school also serves a significant number of English Language Learners and students with special needs. With a relatively high student-teacher ratio and fluctuating per-student spending, the school may not be receiving adequate resources to address the needs of its diverse student population and improve academic outcomes.

662

Students ?

26.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,875

Per pupil spending ?

95.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1245 N. Main St.
San Luis, AZ 85349

(928) 627-6940

District: Gadsden Elementary District

Students who attend Arizona Desert Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	San Luis Middle School
High:	San Luis High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.1%

White:

0.6%

African American:

0.2%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Arizona Desert Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 14th percentile in 2015 → 23rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (26% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school26%

District avg29%

Arizona avg38%

698^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 23%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 14% (2015) to bottom 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Gadsden Elementary District

222^nd of 289Gadsden 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	20.3	698 of 909	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	739 of 912	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.7	749 of 1245	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.4	757 of 1000	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.6	934 of 1226	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.2	736 of 1039	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.4	829 of 1109	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	23.0	853 of 1106	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.5	955 of 1079	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.0	821 of 955	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	27.3	821 of 1079	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.2	902 of 1158	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.6	1004 of 1141	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	25.2	866 of 1075	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	26.2	863 of 1090	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	18.3	947 of 1062	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	19.9	395 of 451	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.1	448 of 975	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.5	57 of 155	63.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	7.9	567 of 589	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	554 of 602	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	34.3	739 of 1219	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.0	693 of 824	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	892 of 1219	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.6	589 of 862	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.7	764 of 1023	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	24.2	371 of 496	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	385 of 486	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.2	649 of 1170	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.7	558 of 716	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.2	850 of 1198	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	471 of 709	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.0	603 of 911	33.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	27.4	397 of 549	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.6	377 of 556	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.6	606 of 1116	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.1	470 of 618	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.0	493 of 820	39.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	18.6	508 of 626	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.7	589 of 628	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	33.2	765 of 1216	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.1	719 of 830	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.5	980 of 1220	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.7	664 of 850	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.4	726 of 1032	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	36.4	25 of 37	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.2	31 of 60	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.7	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2018	58.4	3 of 7	57.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	37.4	499 of 820	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.6	745 of 1201	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	6.2	1149 of 1161	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2023)39th percentile~ school

Migrant (2023)32nd percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)28th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)25th percentile~ school

Male (2025)19th percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)12th percentile-27 vs school

Female (2025)4th percentile-19 vs school

White (2021)1st percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics32%-6 vs state

English Language Arts25%-15 vs state

Science12%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Arizona Desert Elementary School

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 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
Arizona Desert Elementary School	Public	K-6	1245 N. Main St.	San Luis	85349	Yuma County	Gadsden Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 627-6940	662	25	26.4		4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	656 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20.3	698^th of 909 public elementary schools	23.2%		18.2	739^th of 912 public elementary schools	19.0%	41	16.0	39.0	21.0	24.0			32.0	36.0	30.0	28.0		12.0	$7,875	$1,004	$521	$2,530	$5,639	$711	$6,350
Rio Colorado Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1055 N. Main Street	San Luis	85349	Yuma County	Gadsden Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 627-6902	523	21	24.9		8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	513 (98.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.9	628^th of 909 public elementary schools	30.9%		16.1	762^nd of 912 public elementary schools	16.4%	134	19.0	25.0	21.0	28.0			43.0	30.0	35.0	35.0			$8,075	$984	$624	$2,592	$5,796	$670	$6,467
Educational Pastor Elementary 4	Public	K-6	985 Sixth Avenue	San Luis	85349	Yuma County	Gadsden Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 627-6980	646	23	28.0		2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	644 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.1	639^th of 909 public elementary schools	29.7%		29.2	583^rd of 912 public elementary schools	36.1%	56	24.0	34.0	33.0	24.0			23.0	33.0	41.0	27.0		25.0	$7,274	$889	$558	$2,337	$5,415	$411	$5,826
Gadsden Academy of Remote Learning	Public, Virtual	K-8	1350 E Cesar Chavez Blvd	San Luis	85349	Yuma County	Gadsden Elementary District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(928) 627-6540	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Cesar Chavez Elementary	Public	K-6	1130 North 10th Avenue	San Luis	85349	Yuma County	Gadsden Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 627-6958	766	25	30.6		8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	757 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21.8	676^th of 909 public elementary schools	25.6%		22.1	663^rd of 912 public elementary schools	27.3%	13	24.0	41.0	22.0	30.0			35.0	36.0	22.0	25.0		16.0	$7,504	$893	$579	$2,365	$5,353	$680	$6,033
Desert View Elementary	Public	K-6	1508 N. 10th Avenue	San Luis	85349	Yuma County	Gadsden Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 627-6915	760	25	30.4		3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	757 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.7	464^th of 909 public elementary schools	49.0%		47.2	425^th of 912 public elementary schools	53.4%	39	23.0	43.0	37.0	52.0			26.0	43.0	45.0	56.0		18.0		$00			$00
Harvest Preparatory Academy San Luis AZ	Public, Charter	K-8	1044 N. 10th Avenue	San Luis	85349	Yuma County	Harvest Power Community Development Group Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 627-5008	575	37	15.5		6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	568 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23.1	654^th of 909 public elementary schools	28.1%		16.7	757^th of 912 public elementary schools	17.0%	103		24.0	34.0	22.0	26.0	41.0	28.0	44.0	25.0	32.0	16.0	17.0		$00			$00
Sun Valley Elementary School	Public	K-6	3667 E. San Luis Ln.	San Luis	85349	Yuma County	Somerton Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(928) 341-6000	260	12	21.6		0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	259 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Gadsden Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	18745 S. Gadsden Street	Gadsden	85336	Yuma County	Gadsden Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 627-6970	391	17	23.0		2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	389 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27.6	588^th of 909 public elementary schools	35.3%		28.7	587^th of 912 public elementary schools	35.6%	1		26.0	23.0	31.0				42.0	30.0	36.0			$8,140	$1,121	$529	$2,772	$5,895	$594	$6,489
Tierra Del Sol Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1002 South Somerton Ave	Somerton	85350	Yuma County	Somerton Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 341-6400	579	31	18.6		3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	567 (97.9%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	20.1	704^th of 909 public elementary schools	22.6%		19.5	707^th of 912 public elementary schools	22.5%	3	24.0	32.0	33.0	32.0			20.0	19.0	32.0	19.0		28.0	$8,891	$588	$88	$1,264	$7,240	$974	$8,214

Frequently Asked Questions about Arizona Desert Elementary School

Is Arizona Desert Elementary School a good school?

Arizona Desert Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.2% of Arizona elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Arizona Desert Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : San Luis Middle School
High : San Luis High School

What is the racial makeup of Arizona Desert Elementary School?

Students at Arizona Desert Elementary School are 99% Hispanic.

What district is Arizona Desert Elementary School in?

Gadsden Elementary District

How many students attend Arizona Desert Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 662 students attended Arizona Desert Elementary School.

Rate Arizona Desert Elementary School!

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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.