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Desert Horizon Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

881^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 3% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Desert Horizon Elementary School is a public school located in Phoenix, Arizona, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 729 students. The school is part of the Pendergast Elementary District, which is ranked 232 out of 289 districts in Arizona and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Desert Horizon Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Arizona elementary schools, with its academic performance significantly below the state and district averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 20% of 4th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 46% statewide and 37% in the Pendergast Elementary District. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with only 15% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to 42% statewide and 19% in the district. The school also struggles to effectively serve its diverse student population, with rankings for various student subgroups consistently in the bottom 20-30% of Arizona elementary schools.

While the school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds may be a contributing factor, the performance of nearby schools within the same district, such as Amberlea Elementary School and Pendergast Elementary School, also struggle academically, with rankings and performance metrics similar to Desert Horizon Elementary School. However, some schools outside the Pendergast District, such as Legacy Traditional School - North Phoenix and Starlight Park College Preparatory and Community School, demonstrate significantly higher academic performance, suggesting that factors beyond the district may be contributing to the challenges faced by Desert Horizon Elementary School.

690

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,537

Per pupil spending ?

76.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8525 W Osborn Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85037-2738

(623) 772-2430

District: Pendergast Elementary District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

84.8%

African American:

7.2%

White:

4.8%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Desert Horizon Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 25th percentile in 2014 → 3rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (19% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

District avg27%

Arizona avg42%

Elementary school

881^st of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 18% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

500^th of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 21 pts since 2015

From bottom 30% (2015) to bottom 9% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Pendergast Elementary District

232^nd of 289Pendergast 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	9.7	881 of 909	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	1154 of 1245	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	895 of 1000	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	1062 of 1226	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.9	959 of 1039	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.9	1066 of 1109	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	9.0	1076 of 1106	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	17.7	926 of 1079	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	19.4	784 of 955	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	28.6	807 of 1079	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.0	845 of 1158	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	28.8	912 of 1141	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	36.8	704 of 1075	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	32.6	779 of 1090	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.7	725 of 1062	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	21.9	871 of 895	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	46.8	385 of 620	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	18.2	416 of 451	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	39.3	545 of 975	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.4	73 of 155	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	12.5	1157 of 1219	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	1065 of 1219	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	802 of 862	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.3	964 of 1023	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	15.1	1104 of 1170	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.6	674 of 716	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	1027 of 1198	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.3	667 of 709	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.0	876 of 911	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	16.6	1035 of 1116	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.8	774 of 820	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	13.7	1131 of 1216	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.0	1067 of 1220	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.1	822 of 850	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.1	985 of 1032	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	27.9	814 of 1027	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	53.0	180 of 654	72.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	27.5	974 of 1201	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.6	301 of 417	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	13.6	957 of 1024	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.0	1114 of 1161	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	12.8	500 of 552	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	527 of 550	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	730 of 854	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.6	738 of 832	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.1	564 of 605	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.8	666 of 711	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.6	657 of 695	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	16.5	590 of 677	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	26.8	364 of 521	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	39.3	409 of 690	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.7	455 of 787	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.7	413 of 772	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	39.7	417 of 685	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	28.4	543 of 692	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	33.8	463 of 663	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	22.3	551 of 573	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	30.1	310 of 404	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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
2023	18.7	687 of 806	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.9	704 of 820	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.4	399 of 466	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.8	555 of 624	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	11.8	312 of 329	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.2	661 of 760	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.7	692 of 802	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.5	366 of 387	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.4	511 of 543	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	19.4	288 of 344	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	285 of 320	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	576 of 717	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.7	476 of 503	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	15.5	732 of 810	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.4	740 of 818	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.8	603 of 617	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	15.8	594 of 650	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	46.0	149 of 390	61.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	28.1	644 of 789	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	31.1	463 of 675	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.4	583 of 780	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Native American (2021)72nd percentile+59 vs school

Asian (2021)38th percentile+25 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)21st percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2021)19th percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)8th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)7th percentile~ school

Male (2023)7th percentile~ school

White (2023)7th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2023)6th percentile~ school

Female (2023)5th percentile~ school

African American (2021)3rd percentile-11 vs school

Middle school

Native American (2021)62nd percentile+50 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)51st percentile+40 vs school

White (2023)31st percentile+17 vs school

Asian (2021)23rd percentile+12 vs school

Special Education (2021)18th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)16th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2023)15th percentile~ school

Male (2023)10th percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)9th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2024)5th percentile~ school

African American (2021)4th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts19%-22 vs state

Mathematics15%-27 vs state

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Schools Near Desert Horizon 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 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 Horizon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	8525 W Osborn Rd	Phoenix	85037	Maricopa County	Pendergast Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-2430	690	39	17.6		33 (4.8%)	50 (7.2%)	585 (84.8%)	8 (1.2%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.0%)	9.7	881^st of 909 public elementary schools	3.1%					(n/a)		20.0	13.0	29.0	16.0	19.0	15.0								$6,537	$430	$1,090	$1,950	$5,681		$5,018
Amberlea Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	8455 W Virginia Ave	Phoenix	85037	Maricopa County	Pendergast Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-2900	457	22	20.7		23 (5.0%)	46 (10.1%)	369 (80.7%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)								(n/a)					31.0	22.0					26.0			19.0	$5,667	$794	$1,118	$2,706	$4,699		$3,754
Starlight Park College Preparatory and Community School	Public	PK, KG-8	7960 W Osborn Rd	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-4700	703	41	17.2		11 (1.6%)	14 (2.0%)	661 (94.0%)	6 (0.9%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.0%)	9.9	878^th of 909 public elementary schools	3.4%		10.7	861^st of 912 public elementary schools	5.6%	17	14.0	21.0	18.0	18.0			26.0	19.0	26.0	13.0			11.0		$12,636	$3,339	$411	$7,089	$7,322	$1,563	$8,885
Pendergast Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3802 N 91st Ave	Phoenix	85037	Maricopa County	Pendergast Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-2400	665	34	19.5		24 (3.6%)	33 (5.0%)	580 (87.2%)	8 (1.2%)	8 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.8%)	16.8	751^st of 909 public elementary schools	17.4%		15.3	778^th of 912 public elementary schools	14.7%	27		33.0		19.0	18.0	33.0				22.0		18.0		15.0	$6,122	$587	$1,131	$2,304	$5,267		$4,405
Manuel Pena Junior School	Public	PK, KG-6	2550 N 79th Ave	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-3100	806	42	19.1		23 (2.9%)	93 (11.5%)	653 (81.0%)	6 (0.7%)	15 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.0%)	11.3	852^nd of 909 public elementary schools	6.3%		12.2	836^th of 912 public elementary schools	8.3%	16	12.0	24.0	18.0	28.0			15.0	14.0	17.0	25.0			20.0		$11,966	$3,338	$436	$7,111	$6,782	$1,411	$8,193
Westwind Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	9040 W. Campbell Ave. B	Phoenix	85037	Maricopa County	Pendergast Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-2700	932	46	20.2		43 (4.6%)	33 (3.5%)	830 (89.1%)	10 (1.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.4%)	13.3	820^th of 909 public elementary schools	9.8%		22.6	658^th of 912 public elementary schools	27.9%	162	22.0	30.0	25.0	20.0	42.0	35.0	12.0	25.0	22.0	17.0	30.0	20.0	22.0	17.0	$5,794	$463	$1,130	$2,055	$5,089		$4,201
ACCLAIM Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7624 W Indian School Rd	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Acclaim Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-0919	249	17	14.6		19 (7.6%)	3 (1.2%)	227 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		65.0	32.0		46.0	35.0										$00			$00
Tomahawk School	Public	PK, KG-6	7820 W Turney Ave	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5800	718	32	22.3		18 (2.5%)	33 (4.6%)	646 (90.0%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.1%)	18.2	724^th of 909 public elementary schools	20.4%		11.4	849^th of 912 public elementary schools	6.9%	125	16.0	38.0	25.0	32.0			24.0	31.0	24.0	13.0			26.0		$12,361	$3,430	$388	$7,247	$6,831	$1,712	$8,543
Sheely Farms Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	9450 W Encanto Blvd	Phoenix	85037	Maricopa County	Tolleson Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 907-5270	628	36	17.3		30 (4.8%)	145 (23.1%)	423 (67.4%)	11 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.7%)	20.8	692^nd of 909 public elementary schools	23.9%		15.5	772^nd of 912 public elementary schools	15.4%	80	23.0	39.0		24.0	37.0	29.0	35.0	27.0	24.0					20.0	$11,786	$1,240	$918	$3,397	$7,536	$2,093	$9,628
Desert Oasis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	8802 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85037	Maricopa County	Tolleson Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 533-3901	738	35	21.2		19 (2.6%)	56 (7.6%)	620 (84.0%)	7 (0.9%)	14 (1.9%)	4 (0.5%)	18 (2.4%)	11.7	847^th of 909 public elementary schools	6.8%		19.6	706^th of 912 public elementary schools	22.6%	141	16.0	22.0		27.0	19.0	22.0	23.0					13.0		19.0	$10,552	$1,181	$921	$3,283	$6,266	$2,184	$8,450

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Horizon Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Desert Horizon Elementary School?

Students at Desert Horizon Elementary School are 85% Hispanic, 7% African American, 5% White, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Desert Horizon Elementary School in?

Pendergast Elementary District

Is Desert Horizon Elementary School a good school?

Desert Horizon Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.1% of Arizona elementary schools.

How many students attend Desert Horizon Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 690 students attended Desert Horizon Elementary School.

Rate Desert Horizon 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.