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Desert Star

Q: Is Desert Star a good school?

Desert Star ranks 575 th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

575^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 37% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Desert Star is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Goodyear, Arizona, part of the Avondale Elementary District. While the school has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking over the past decade, its current 2-star rating from SchoolDigger indicates it is performing below average compared to other Arizona elementary schools.

Desert Star's student performance on standardized tests is generally below the district and state averages, particularly in mathematics where only 25-37% of students in grades 3-8 score proficient or better, compared to 40-42% statewide. However, the school does show some bright spots, such as 8th grade English Language Arts where 52% of students were proficient, exceeding the state average of 40%. The school serves a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of low-income and English Language Learner students compared to the state. Despite higher per-student spending, Desert Star has also experienced relatively high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 3.4% to 6.1%.

When comparing Desert Star to nearby schools in the Avondale Elementary District, schools like Copper Trails, Wildflower Accelerated Academy, and Centerra Mirage STEM Academy generally outperform Desert Star on standardized tests, particularly in mathematics. These higher-performing schools serve similar student demographics, suggesting factors beyond student population, such as instructional practices and school leadership, may be contributing to the performance differences.

637

Students ?

20.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,076

Per pupil spending ?

64.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2131 S 157th Ave
Goodyear, AZ 85338-3357

(623) 772-4600

District: Avondale Elementary District

Students who attend Desert Star usually attend:

High:

Desert Edge High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

59.5%

White:

22.8%

African American:

12.6%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Desert Star to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 51st percentile in 2022 → 37th in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 51st-percentile peak (2022) to 37th (2025)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school37%

District avg31%

Arizona avg36%

Elementary school

575^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 20 pts since 2015

From bottom 17% (2015) to bottom 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

202^nd of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 37 pts since 2015

From bottom 26% (2015) to top 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^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	28.5	575 of 909	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.6	644 of 912	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.7	661 of 1245	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.7	494 of 1000	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.8	620 of 1226	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.0	739 of 1039	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.6	721 of 1109	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.7	663 of 1106	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	32.3	698 of 1079	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	18.8	791 of 955	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.4	862 of 1079	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	36.5	801 of 1158	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	44.3	676 of 1141	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.1	610 of 1075	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.5	587 of 1090	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	34.0	736 of 1062	30.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	36.6	399 of 607	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.1	474 of 895	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.8	53 of 100	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	60.1	242 of 620	61.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	58.4	86 of 975	91.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	24.9	444 of 589	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.2	646 of 1219	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.3	505 of 824	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.3	613 of 1219	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.8	602 of 862	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.8	678 of 1023	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	32.1	307 of 496	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.0	267 of 486	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.7	520 of 1170	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.5	286 of 716	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.4	465 of 1198	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.9	365 of 709	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.4	492 of 911	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	59.5	15 of 33	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.3	275 of 423	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	43.5	270 of 549	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.2	365 of 556	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	617 of 1116	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.1	371 of 618	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.3	483 of 820	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	28.6	432 of 626	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.6	679 of 1216	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.5	485 of 830	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.0	625 of 1220	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.1	548 of 850	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.0	617 of 1032	40.2%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	38.5	629 of 1027	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	76.3	18 of 171	89.5%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	27.8	623 of 820	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.4	357 of 1201	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	16.1	413 of 417	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	35.3	675 of 1024	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.3	624 of 800	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.5	828 of 1161	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.6	586 of 720	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	55.7	202 of 552	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.7	266 of 550	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.7	332 of 854	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.6	283 of 605	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.5	336 of 832	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.4	305 of 605	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.6	398 of 711	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.6	419 of 695	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.9	365 of 677	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	25.2	386 of 521	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	41.2	392 of 690	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.2	463 of 787	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	48.2	402 of 772	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.9	393 of 685	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.9	381 of 692	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	48.9	331 of 663	50.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	58.6	123 of 400	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.9	253 of 573	55.8%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	58.6	168 of 404	58.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	44.4	55 of 145	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.7	298 of 606	50.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	37.5	220 of 395	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.0	220 of 386	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.9	296 of 806	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.6	305 of 820	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.0	257 of 466	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.7	365 of 624	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	30.5	155 of 166	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	66.7	85 of 345	75.4%	★★★★☆
2024	57.7	103 of 329	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.4	243 of 760	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.4	125 of 392	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.9	237 of 802	70.4%	★★★★☆
2019	45.4	182 of 387	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.3	261 of 543	51.9%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	33.5	140 of 257	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	68.0	69 of 344	79.9%	★★★★☆
2024	62.6	85 of 320	73.4%	★★★★☆
2023	54.2	241 of 717	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.3	237 of 503	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	63.1	109 of 379	71.2%	★★★★☆
2024	38.8	211 of 370	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.1	351 of 810	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.2	364 of 818	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.8	260 of 435	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.3	299 of 617	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	56.0	241 of 650	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	95.8	4 of 390	99.0%	★★★★★

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	57.7	27 of 108	75.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	48.2	134 of 363	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.7	142 of 789	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	32.9	109 of 178	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	35.5	426 of 675	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	536 of 780	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.2	159 of 337	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.9	295 of 436	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

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

English Language Learner (2021)91st percentile+42 vs school

Pacific Islander (2021)89th percentile+40 vs school

Asian (2021)61st percentile+12 vs school

Homeless (2022)55th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)51st percentile+14 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)39th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2025)38th percentile~ school

African American (2023)34th percentile-13 vs school

White (2023)34th percentile-13 vs school

Male (2025)31st percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)25th percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2023)24th percentile-23 vs school

Middle school

Native American (2021)99th percentile+39 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)80th percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2025)75th percentile+12 vs school

Pacific Islander (2021)75th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2025)71st percentile+8 vs school

African American (2023)69th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2023)63rd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2021)63rd percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)62nd percentile~ school

Asian (2021)58th percentile~ school

Homeless (2021)46th percentile-14 vs school

Female (2025)44th percentile-19 vs school

White (2023)37th percentile-24 vs school

Foster Care (2021)7th percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts40%~ state avg

Mathematics34%~ state avg

Science32%~ state avg

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 3, 2017

I want to advise anyone who is considering placing their child into the Avondale Elementary School District to SERIOUSLY consider any other available option. To say what we have been through with a special needs child has been a nightmare would be an understatement. No child should ever be fearful of their school environment, teacher, or peers. Yet, that's exactly where we are. We continue to fight an uphill battle, even with the assistance of an outside advocate, to make sure our son receives the education and support that he has every right to have. Close Quote

Schools Near Desert Star

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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Star

What schools do graduates of Desert Star attend?

Students who attend Desert Star usually go on to attend:

High : Desert Edge High School

What is the racial makeup of Desert Star?

Students at Desert Star are 59% Hispanic, 23% White, 13% African American, 3% Two or more races.

Is Desert Star a good school?

Desert Star ranks 575^th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Desert Star in?

Avondale Elementary District

How many students attend Desert Star?

In the 2024-25 school year, 637 students attended Desert Star.

Rate Desert Star!

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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.