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Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Arizona do not yet include the AzSCI Science tests, which have not yet been released by the Arizona Department of Education

Desert Vista Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

731^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Desert Vista Elementary School serves 435 students in prekindergarten through grade 6 in Apache Junction, Arizona, as part of the Apache Junction Unified District. In 2025–26, 28% of students were proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) and 21% in math; fifth-grade science proficiency was 21% in 2024–25. The central concern is that results in both all-grades subjects are well below state averages and among the lowest of nearby schools.

Desert Vista is slightly above its district averages, but that does not bring it close to state or nearby-school results: ELA was 28%, compared with 27% in the district and 41% statewide; math was 21%, compared with 20% in the district and 33% statewide. Among seven nearby schools serving through grade 6, average proficiency was about 40% in ELA and 36% in math, leaving Desert Vista 12 and 15 percentage points below, respectively. Within the school, grade 3 and 4 ELA were weak at 24% and 26%, while grade 5 ELA reached 36%, close to the nearby average. Grade 4 math was also a low point at 23%, versus 40% statewide; grade 5 math was stronger at 32%, near the nearby average of 32%.

Science proficiency rose from 26% in 2022–23 to 33% in 2023–24, then fell to 21% in 2024–25; the state remained at 34% in all three years. SchoolDigger ranked Desert Vista 731st of 900 Arizona schools in 2025–26, at the 19th percentile and one star—the lowest percentile among the nine nearby schools. That was a small rise from the 17th percentile the previous year, but 22 points below its 2015–16 standing. The student–teacher ratio was 16.2 in 2024–25, within the nearby range of 13.7–18.3; the reported free/reduced-lunch rate was 50% in 2022–23. SchoolDigger’s subgroup rankings show a striking contrast: in 2022–23, its ranking for how well it served Native American students was at the 88th percentile, versus the school’s overall 30th; for White students, the ranking was at the 2nd percentile in 2023–24, versus 25th overall. Subgroup sample sizes are not provided, and suppressed score values are unknown.

435

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$5,318

Per pupil spending ?

46.9%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

3701 E Broadway Ave
Apache Junction, AZ 85119-9301

(480) 677-7510

District: Apache Junction Unified District

Students who attend Desert Vista Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Cactus Canyon Junior High
High:	Apache Junction High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.5%

Hispanic:

42.3%

African American:

3.2%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Desert Vista Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 41st percentile in 2016 → 19th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (24% vs 37% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg23%

Arizona avg37%

731^st of 900

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 41% (2016) to bottom 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Elementary Schools in the Apache Junction Unified District

222^nd of 267Apache Junction 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
2026	18.3	731 of 900	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.7	753 of 909	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.1	685 of 912	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.5	875 of 1245	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	835 of 1000	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.8	831 of 1226	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.4	759 of 1039	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.3	693 of 1109	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	38.8	631 of 1106	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.7	637 of 1079	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	22.2	735 of 955	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	38.1	684 of 1079	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	55.3	512 of 1158	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.6	525 of 1141	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.8	465 of 1075	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.4	488 of 1090	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	51.6	514 of 1062	51.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	37.7	531 of 895	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	39.3	545 of 975	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	22.2	958 of 1219	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.9	775 of 824	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	31.3	797 of 1219	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.2	664 of 862	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.8	693 of 1023	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	18.8	1028 of 1170	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.3	764 of 1198	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.3	516 of 709	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.3	689 of 911	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.1	296 of 423	30.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	29.0	393 of 556	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.3	767 of 1116	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.2	531 of 820	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	23.0	449 of 591	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	810 of 1216	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.7	867 of 1220	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.8	722 of 850	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.5	639 of 1032	38.1%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	44.9	535 of 1027	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	85.1	26 of 219	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	36.9	394 of 654	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	91.3	4 of 171	97.7%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	42.9	575 of 1201	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.5	248 of 417	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	4.0	478 of 486	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.9	945 of 1024	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.8	789 of 800	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.6	1023 of 1161	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	3.7	588 of 595	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.2	634 of 720	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Pacific Islander (2021)98th percentile+65 vs school

Native American (2023)88th percentile+58 vs school

Special Education (2021)52nd percentile+20 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)48th percentile+16 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)44th percentile+12 vs school

African American (2021)41st percentile+8 vs school

Homeless (2021)30th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)29th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)24th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2023)21st percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2023)12th percentile-18 vs school

White (2024)2nd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts28%-13 vs state

Mathematics21%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Desert Vista 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				AASA English Language Arts (2026)							AASA Mathematics (2026)							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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 English Language Arts All Grades	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics All Grades	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 Vista Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3701 E Broadway Ave	Apache Junction	85119	Pinal County	Apache Junction Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 677-7510	435	27	16.2	46.9%	211 (48.5%)	14 (3.2%)	184 (42.3%)	5 (1.1%)	10 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.5%)	18.3	731^st of 900 public elementary schools	18.8%		16.7	753^rd of 909 public elementary schools	17.2%	22	24.0	26.0	36.0				28.0		23.0	32.0				21.0	$5,318	$711	$04	$1,425	$4,500	$104	$4,603
Avalon Elementary	Public, Charter	K-8	1045 S San Marcos Dr	Apache Junction	85120	Pinal County	Excalibur Charter Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 671-4585	313	21	14.9	54.0%	157 (50.2%)	6 (1.9%)	126 (40.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.6%)	19 (6.1%)	27.1	593^rd of 900 public elementary schools	34.1%		24.7	631^st of 909 public elementary schools	30.6%	38		32.0	35.0	41.0			30.0		28.0					15.0		$00			$00
Four Peaks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1755 N Idaho Rd	Apache Junction	85119	Pinal County	Apache Junction Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 982-1110	400	29	13.7	57.8%	166 (41.5%)	2 (0.5%)	195 (48.8%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (6.8%)	20.9	692^nd of 900 public elementary schools	23.1%		16.6	755^th of 909 public elementary schools	16.9%	63	26.0	32.0	27.0				28.0	38.0	30.0	23.0				30.0	$5,458	$1,033	$11	$2,076	$4,328	$87	$4,414
Superstition Mountain Classical Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	550 South Ironwood	Apache Junction	85220	Pinal County	Apache Junction Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(480) 982-1110	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Brinton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	11455 E Sunland Ave	Mesa	85208	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4075	495	27	18.1	49.1%	218 (44.0%)	37 (7.5%)	197 (39.8%)	3 (0.6%)	6 (1.2%)	5 (1.0%)	29 (5.9%)	35	510^th of 900 public elementary schools	43.3%		36.1	500^th of 909 public elementary schools	45.0%	10	36.0	29.0	40.0	49.0			39.0	43.0	30.0	27.0	32.0			33.0	$8,728	$911	$56	$1,877	$7,565	$196	$7,762
Sousa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	616 N Mountain Rd	Mesa	85207	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-8899	344	25	13.8	50.9%	165 (48.0%)	15 (4.4%)	144 (41.9%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.8%)	38.2	481^st of 900 public elementary schools	46.6%		21.2	689^th of 909 public elementary schools	24.2%	208	40.0	37.0		41.0			36.0	44.0			28.0			28.0	$9,966	$957	$126	$2,040	$8,696	$188	$8,883
Patterson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	615 S Cheshire	Mesa	85208	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-9700	733	45	16.4	40.9%	328 (44.7%)	26 (3.5%)	302 (41.2%)	14 (1.9%)	23 (3.1%)	3 (0.4%)	37 (5.0%)	53	366^th of 900 public elementary schools	59.3%		45.1	436^th of 909 public elementary schools	52.0%	70	50.0	55.0	39.0	39.0			46.0	63.0	57.0	27.0	29.0			45.0	$8,129	$762	$16	$1,541	$7,161	$190	$7,351
Legacy Traditional School - East Mesa	Public, Charter	K-8	10707 E. Guadalupe Rd.	Mesa	85286	Maricopa County	Legacy Traditional School - East Mesa	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 935-5320	1,066	58	18.3	—	472 (44.3%)	62 (5.8%)	375 (35.2%)	38 (3.6%)	16 (1.5%)	7 (0.7%)	96 (9.0%)	40.1	466^th of 900 public elementary schools	48.2%		37.4	486^th of 909 public elementary schools	46.5%	20	51.0	47.0	48.0	47.0	38.0	40.0	46.0	36.0	26.0	32.0	23.0	21.0		27.0		$00			$00
Peralta Trail Elementary School	Public	K-6	10965 E Peralta Rd	Apache Junction	85118	Pinal County	Apache Junction Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 677-7510	282	16	18.0	49.3%	176 (62.4%)	10 (3.5%)	73 (25.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.4%)	33.4	522^nd of 900 public elementary schools	42.0%		45.8	424^th of 909 public elementary schools	53.4%	98	36.0	39.0	36.0				37.0	37.0	37.0	36.0				37.0	$4,980	$883	$21	$1,787	$3,992	$84	$4,076
Meridian	Public	PK, KG-6	3900 S Mountain Rd	Mesa	85212	Maricopa County	Gilbert Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 497-4032	850	56	15.2	16.9%	530 (62.4%)	24 (2.8%)	229 (26.9%)	11 (1.3%)	6 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (5.6%)	69.5	245^th of 900 public elementary schools	72.8%		71.8	236^th of 909 public elementary schools	74.0%	9	43.0	79.0	61.0	57.0			60.0	35.0	66.0	54.0	47.0			50.0	$7,565	$17	$10	$44	$7,374	$164	$7,537

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Vista Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Desert Vista Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Cactus Canyon Junior High
High : Apache Junction High School

What is the racial makeup of Desert Vista Elementary School?

Students at Desert Vista Elementary School are 49% White, 42% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

What district is Desert Vista Elementary School in?

Apache Junction Unified District

Is Desert Vista Elementary School a good school?

Desert Vista Elementary School ranks in the bottom 18.8% of Arizona elementary schools.

How many students attend Desert Vista Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 435 students attended Desert Vista Elementary School.

Rate Desert Vista Elementary School!

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Latest Arizona data All new data »

2025–26 AASA test scoresNewOct 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesDec 2, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesNov 7, 2025

2024–25 AASA & AzSCI test scoresOct 10, 2025

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.