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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 Shadows Middle School

Q: Is Desert Shadows Middle School a good school?

Desert Shadows Middle School ranks 276 th of 536 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

276^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 536 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 49% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Desert Shadows Middle School serves 784 students in grades 6–8 in Nogales, Arizona, in the Nogales Unified District. Its latest SchoolDigger standing is the 49th percentile statewide, ranked 276th of 536 schools with 2 stars. The key takeaway for families is that Desert Shadows leads nearby schools in the latest ELA and math results, but remains below Arizona’s averages in both subjects.

Desert Shadows’ strongest results are in ELA: 39% of students were proficient, compared with 36% at Coatimundi Middle School and 24% at Wade Carpenter Middle School. That is 9 points above the nearby-school average, but 2 points below the state and 6 above the district. In math, 28% were proficient, ahead of Coatimundi’s 19%, Wade Carpenter’s 14% and the nearby average of 17%, but 5 points below the state and 3 above the district. Seventh grade is a particular bright spot: ELA proficiency was 51% and math was 39%, both above state results and those of the nearby schools. Sixth-grade math is a concern at 18%, 12 points below the state. Eighth-grade science reached 23%, ahead of both nearby schools but 7 points below the state.

Eighth-grade science proficiency has improved from 18% in 2022–2023 to 23% in 2024–2025, while the gap with the state narrowed from 9 points to 7. The overall SchoolDigger percentile rose from 48 to 56, then fell to 49; despite that uneven trend, its latest standing is above Coatimundi’s 35th percentile and Wade Carpenter’s 13th. The student-teacher ratio was 23.0 in 2024–2025, close to Coatimundi’s 23.1 and above Wade Carpenter’s 21.8; the free/reduced-lunch rate was 75% in 2022–2023. SchoolDigger’s group-specific rankings show notable differences: the Female Students ranking fell to the 26th percentile in 2025–2026, compared with 49th overall, while the English Language Learner Students ranking declined from the 97th percentile in 2017–2018 to the 43rd in 2022–2023. These are rankings of how well the school serves each group. ELA and math trends cannot be assessed from the single year of results supplied.

784

Students ?

23.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,426

Per pupil spending ?

44.9%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

340 Blvd. del Rey David
Nogales, AZ 85621

(520) 377-2646

District: Nogales Unified District

Students who attend Desert Shadows Middle School usually attend:

High:

Nogales High School

Feeder schools for Desert Shadows Middle School:

Elementary:	Challenger Elementary School
	Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School
	Robert Bracker Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.4%

White:

0.3%

Asian:

0.3%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Desert Shadows Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg29%

Arizona avg37%

276^th of 536

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Nogales Unified District

206^th of 267Nogales 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	38.7	276 of 536	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.8	245 of 552	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.6	284 of 550	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.8	309 of 854	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.0	331 of 605	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.0	541 of 832	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.7	314 of 605	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.3	323 of 711	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.8	274 of 695	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	47.7	298 of 677	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	45.5	245 of 521	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.5	217 of 690	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.5	234 of 787	70.3%	★★★★☆
2012	59.8	288 of 772	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	61.8	241 of 685	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	59.1	256 of 692	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	54.9	291 of 663	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	25.7	341 of 404	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	30.5	82 of 145	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.5	190 of 606	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	84.8	1 of 31	96.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	272 of 370	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.4	238 of 395	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	239 of 386	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.4	279 of 806	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.5	312 of 494	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.3	561 of 820	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.9	253 of 466	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.2	261 of 624	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	38.5	176 of 338	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.8	115 of 345	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.5	133 of 329	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.1	208 of 760	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	42.8	204 of 392	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.9	447 of 802	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.0	156 of 387	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.7	156 of 543	71.3%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	33.8	35 of 64	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.4	55 of 257	78.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	146 of 328	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.7	119 of 344	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.6	190 of 717	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	38.3	212 of 369	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	34.2	218 of 370	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.5	226 of 379	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.4	263 of 370	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.9	345 of 810	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	27.4	334 of 476	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.1	501 of 818	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.1	280 of 435	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.1	265 of 617	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	42.8	344 of 650	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.1	579 of 789	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	164 of 178	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	19.1	688 of 780	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)48th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2021)47th percentile+12 vs school

Homeless (2023)45th percentile-19 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)43rd percentile-20 vs school

Male (2026)41st percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2021)27th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)26th percentile-22 vs school

Asian (2021)16th percentile-19 vs school

White (2021)12th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts39%~ state avg

Mathematics28%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Desert Shadows Middle 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 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA English Language Arts All Grades	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 Shadows Middle School	Public	6-8	340 Blvd. del Rey David	Nogales	85621	Santa Cruz County	Nogales Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 377-2646	784	34	23.0	44.9%	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	779 (99.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38.7	276^th of 536 public middle schools	48.5%		45.8	245^th of 552 public middle schools	55.6%	31	35.0	51.0	32.0	39.0	18.0	39.0	28.0	28.0	$6,426	$333	$34	$701	$5,522	$537	$6,059
Wade Carpenter Middle School	Public	6-8	595 W Kino St	Nogales	85621	Santa Cruz County	Nogales Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 287-0820	547	25	21.8	57.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	546 (99.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15	465^th of 536 public middle schools	13.2%		14	491^st of 552 public middle schools	11.1%	26	18.0	33.0	22.0	24.0	14.0	14.0	16.0	14.0	$5,882	$359	$44	$762	$4,962	$517	$5,479
Coatimundi Middle School	Public	6-8	490 Avenida Coatimundi	Rio Rico	85648	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 375-8300	497	22	23.1	47.3%	10 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	480 (96.6%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27.3	348^th of 536 public middle schools	35.1%		23.9	385^th of 552 public middle schools	30.3%	37	33.0	41.0	33.0	36.0	33.0	13.0	13.0	19.0	$7,568	$388	$207	$983	$6,305	$668	$6,973

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Shadows Middle School

What district is Desert Shadows Middle School in?

Nogales Unified District

What high school do graduates of Desert Shadows Middle School attend?

Students who attend Desert Shadows Middle School usually go on to attend Nogales High School

What is the racial makeup of Desert Shadows Middle School?

Students at Desert Shadows Middle School are 99% Hispanic.

Is Desert Shadows Middle School a good school?

Desert Shadows Middle School ranks 276^th of 536 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Desert Shadows Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 784 students attended Desert Shadows Middle School.

Rate Desert Shadows Middle 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.