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Desert Meadows Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-8
573rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools
Better than 37% of Arizona elementary schools
Summary

Desert Meadows Elementary School is a public school in Laveen, Arizona, serving 924 students in grades PK-8 as part of the Laveen Elementary District. While the district is ranked 194 out of 289 in the state, Desert Meadows consistently performs below average, ranking in the bottom half of Arizona elementary schools on state assessments.

Academic performance at Desert Meadows is a concern, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science lagging behind both the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 35% of 5th graders were proficient or better in Science, compared to 30% in the district and 34% statewide. The school's dropout rate has also been steadily increasing, reaching 6.1% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the state's average. However, when compared to some nearby charter schools like Riverbend Prep and Legacy Traditional School - Laveen Village, Desert Meadows still outperforms them on academic measures.

The wide variation in performance across different student subgroups at Desert Meadows suggests the school may be struggling to meet the diverse needs of its student population. While the school performs relatively better for Hispanic and Native American students, it ranks in the bottom 25% of Arizona elementary schools for Asian, African American, and Special Education students. Addressing these inconsistencies and the overall academic challenges at Desert Meadows will likely require a comprehensive approach that focuses on instructional practices and targeted interventions to support the unique needs of the school's diverse learners.

1,020
Students ?
18.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$10,311
Per pupil spending ?
70.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 6855 W Meadows Loop E
       Laveen, AZ  85339-3512

(602) 304-2020

District: Laveen Elementary District


Students who attend Desert Meadows Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Betty Fairfax High School
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
59.8%
African American:
23.9%
White:
6.5%
more
 See top rated Arizona elementary schools

 Compare Desert Meadows Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 29th percentile in 2015 → 37th in 2025
Strengths
Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Arizona average (27% vs 36% meeting standards)
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!English Language Arts scores 11 pts below the Arizona average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school27%
District avg33%
Arizona avg36%
Elementary school
573rd of 909
Arizona public elementary schools ?
Bottom 37%▲ up 8 pts since 2015
From bottom 29% (2015) to bottom 37% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
467th of 552
Arizona public middle schools ?
Bottom 15%▼ down 7 pts since 2015
From bottom 22% (2015) to bottom 15% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
4th of 9Elementary Schools in the Laveen Elementary District
194th of 289Laveen 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202528.7573 of 90937.0%★★☆☆☆
202423.1647 of 91229.1%★☆☆☆☆
202340.1674 of 124545.9%★★☆☆☆
202225.2688 of 100031.2%★★☆☆☆
202129.6799 of 122634.8%★★☆☆☆
201935.5614 of 103940.9%★★☆☆☆
201834.7688 of 110938.0%★★☆☆☆
201738.4638 of 110642.3%★★☆☆☆
201632.0703 of 107934.8%★★☆☆☆
201525.9679 of 95528.9%★☆☆☆☆
201439.9659 of 107938.9%★★☆☆☆
201342.0709 of 115838.8%★★☆☆☆
201241.5717 of 114137.2%★★☆☆☆
201137.2698 of 107535.1%★★☆☆☆
201037.9690 of 109036.7%★★☆☆☆
200940.4658 of 106238.0%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202331.0447 of 60726.4%★☆☆☆☆
202135.1601 of 89532.8%★★☆☆☆
201855.733 of 10067.0%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202321.9286 of 3169.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202123.6538 of 62013.2%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202336.4229 of 45149.2%★★☆☆☆
202142.5414 of 97557.5%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202515.5509 of 58913.6%★☆☆☆☆
202412.2547 of 6029.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202336.9706 of 121942.1%★★☆☆☆
202222.9668 of 82418.9%★☆☆☆☆
202134.9739 of 121939.4%★★☆☆☆
201938.1502 of 86241.8%★★☆☆☆
201840.5575 of 102343.8%★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
20237.438 of 380.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202163.929 of 30690.5%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202537.4283 of 49642.9%★★☆☆☆
202431.2312 of 48635.8%★★☆☆☆
202349.5522 of 117055.4%★★★☆☆
202237.7447 of 71637.6%★★☆☆☆
202138.6677 of 119843.5%★★☆☆☆
201940.6397 of 70944.0%★★☆☆☆
201836.0583 of 91136.0%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202533.4344 of 54937.3%★★☆☆☆
202431.6371 of 55633.3%★★☆☆☆
202349.1498 of 111655.4%★★★☆☆
202236.1411 of 61833.5%★★☆☆☆
201850.1379 of 82053.8%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202517.5517 of 62617.4%★☆☆☆☆
202424.4469 of 62825.3%★☆☆☆☆
202340.8649 of 121646.6%★★☆☆☆
202230.1583 of 83029.8%★☆☆☆☆
202126.9861 of 122029.4%★☆☆☆☆
201923.1631 of 85025.8%★☆☆☆☆
201828.7722 of 103230.0%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202340.9404 of 61734.5%★★☆☆☆
202229.7385 of 44413.3%★☆☆☆☆
202133.8715 of 102730.4%★★☆☆☆

Native American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202362.072 of 21967.1%★★★☆☆
202222.973 of 8211.0%★☆☆☆☆
202159.5138 of 65478.9%★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202122.1143 of 17116.4%★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202328.8607 of 82026.0%★☆☆☆☆
202133.9791 of 120134.1%★★☆☆☆
201830.6284 of 41731.9%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202357.6406 of 102460.4%★★★☆☆
202234.6577 of 80027.9%★☆☆☆☆
202137.8755 of 116135.0%★★☆☆☆
201848.2396 of 72045.0%★★☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202516.3467 of 55215.4%★☆☆☆☆
202419.1438 of 55020.4%★☆☆☆☆
202339.2447 of 85447.7%★★☆☆☆
202230.1378 of 60537.5%★★☆☆☆
202128.9557 of 83233.1%★★☆☆☆
201924.5439 of 60527.4%★☆☆☆☆
201840.2383 of 71146.1%★★☆☆☆
201735.4406 of 69541.6%★★☆☆☆
201640.5358 of 67747.1%★★☆☆☆
201523.3405 of 52122.3%★☆☆☆☆
201433.1468 of 69032.2%★★☆☆☆
201342.8466 of 78740.8%★★☆☆☆
201240.8485 of 77237.2%★★☆☆☆
201129.3510 of 68525.5%★☆☆☆☆
201042.1411 of 69240.6%★★☆☆☆
200944.3368 of 66344.5%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202345.6195 of 40051.3%★★★☆☆
202135.6362 of 57336.8%★★☆☆☆
201840.365 of 12548.0%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202325.7214 of 24713.4%★☆☆☆☆
202242.2123 of 19235.9%★★☆☆☆
202151.8201 of 40450.2%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202146.0171 of 60671.8%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202521.3299 of 39524.3%★☆☆☆☆
202423.7271 of 38629.8%★★☆☆☆
202345.8360 of 80655.3%★★★☆☆
202232.5322 of 49434.8%★★☆☆☆
202133.4496 of 82039.5%★★☆☆☆
201936.3265 of 46643.1%★★☆☆☆
201836.8364 of 62441.7%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202532.5204 of 34540.9%★★☆☆☆
202426.5223 of 32932.2%★★☆☆☆
202344.0364 of 76052.1%★★★☆☆
202240.8211 of 39246.2%★★☆☆☆
202139.3433 of 80246.0%★★☆☆☆
201931.6248 of 38735.9%★★☆☆☆
201840.5291 of 54346.4%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202522.2266 of 34422.7%★☆☆☆☆
202421.0253 of 32020.9%★☆☆☆☆
202345.1332 of 71753.7%★★★☆☆
202239.2205 of 36944.4%★★☆☆☆
201849.9208 of 50358.6%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202410.1347 of 3706.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202332.3510 of 81037.0%★★☆☆☆
202127.8573 of 81830.0%★★☆☆☆
201914.0386 of 43511.3%★☆☆☆☆
201831.6392 of 61736.5%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202329.6297 of 38422.7%★☆☆☆☆
202125.5518 of 65020.3%★☆☆☆☆

Native American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202360.948 of 15969.8%★★★★☆
202256.526 of 4946.9%★★☆☆☆
202134.7252 of 39035.4%★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202256.610 of 1637.5%★★★☆☆
202144.451 of 10852.8%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202140.8417 of 78947.1%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArizona percentileRating
202328.4500 of 67525.9%★☆☆☆☆
202129.8589 of 78024.5%★☆☆☆☆
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
Native American (2023)67th percentile+21 vs school
White (2023)60th percentile+14 vs school
English Language Learner (2023)49th percentile+3 vs school
Hispanic (2025)43rd percentile+6 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)37th percentile~ school
Multi-racial (2023)35th percentile-11 vs school
African American (2023)26th percentile-20 vs school
Special Education (2023)26th percentile-20 vs school
Male (2025)17th percentile-20 vs school
Pacific Islander (2021)16th percentile-18 vs school
Female (2025)14th percentile-23 vs school
Asian (2023)9th percentile-36 vs school
Foster Care (2023)<1st percentile-46 vs school
Middle school
English Language Learner (2021)72nd percentile+39 vs school
Native American (2023)70th percentile+22 vs school
African American (2023)51st percentile+4 vs school
Special Education (2021)47th percentile+14 vs school
Hispanic (2025)41st percentile+25 vs school
Pacific Islander (2022)38th percentile~ school
White (2023)26th percentile-22 vs school
Female (2025)24th percentile+9 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)23rd percentile+7 vs school
Multi-racial (2023)23rd percentile-25 vs school
Asian (2023)13th percentile-34 vs school
Male (2024)6th percentile-14 vs school
By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts30%-11 vs state
Science26%-6 vs state
Mathematics25%-9 vs state

4.0
1 rating · 1 written review
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What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, October 6, 2011

Open Quote This is my kids' second year at Desert Meadows, and it's been a good school for us. They are currently in 7th grade and 2nd grade. All the teachers they've had have been really good. Ms. Zachary in 2nd grade is great! My 7th grader is in the honors program and is doing really well. The office staff is just okay. Anytime I've tried to contact the principal via e-mail or phone, I get a response from someone else or, more often, no response at all. But other than that, I would recommend this school. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Meadows Elementary School

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

High : Betty Fairfax High School

Desert Meadows Elementary School ranks 573rd of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Desert Meadows Elementary School are 60% Hispanic, 24% African American, 6% White, 4% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 2% Asian.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,020 students attended Desert Meadows 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.





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