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Desert Sunset Elementary School

Q: Is Desert Sunset Elementary School a good school?

Desert Sunset Elementary School ranks 623 rd of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

623^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Desert Sunset Elementary School is a public elementary school in Buckeye, Arizona, serving 672 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Saddle Mountain Unified School District, which is ranked 239 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Desert Sunset Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Arizona elementary schools over the past three years, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics below the state averages. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as male students, special education students, and low socioeconomic status students. In comparison, nearby schools like Palo Verde Elementary School and Westpark Elementary School tend to outperform Desert Sunset Elementary School academically.

The school has a diverse student population, with a mix of Hispanic, White, and multi-racial students. However, a high percentage of students, around 47%, come from low-income families and qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's student-teacher ratio has fluctuated between 21 and 28 students per teacher over the past three years, which is higher than some nearby schools. The school's per-student spending is also lower than the state average, which may be contributing to its academic challenges.

648

Students ?

23.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

46.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

30919 W. White Tanks Vista Dr
Buckeye, AZ 85396

(623) 474-5601

District: Saddle Mountain Unified School District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.6%

White:

24.4%

African American:

10.2%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 49th percentile in 2023 → 31st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (31% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2023

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg27%

Arizona avg39%

623^rd of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 18 pts since 2023

From bottom 49% (2023) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Saddle Mountain Unified School District

239^th of 289Saddle Mountain Unified School 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
2025	25.0	623 of 909	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.7	656 of 912	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.1	635 of 1245	49.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	35.5	408 of 607	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	17.1	502 of 589	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.8	527 of 602	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.2	613 of 1219	49.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	27.4	348 of 496	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.5	726 of 1170	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	23.2	436 of 549	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.2	374 of 556	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.2	578 of 1116	48.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	9.4	593 of 626	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	529 of 628	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.3	686 of 1216	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	44.2	369 of 617	40.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	18.9	767 of 820	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	35.3	323 of 465	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.6	280 of 486	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.6	628 of 1024	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2023)40th percentile-9 vs school

African American (2023)33rd percentile-16 vs school

White (2025)31st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)30th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)21st percentile-11 vs school

Female (2025)15th percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2023)6th percentile-43 vs school

Male (2025)5th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts34%-6 vs state

Mathematics30%-10 vs state

Science24%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Desert Sunset 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 (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 Sunset Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	30919 W. White Tanks Vista Dr	Buckeye	85396	Maricopa County	Saddle Mountain Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(623) 474-5601	648	28	23.1		158 (24.4%)	66 (10.2%)	380 (58.6%)	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.2%)	5 (0.8%)	29 (4.5%)	25	623^rd of 909 public elementary schools	31.5%		22.7	656^th of 912 public elementary schools	28.1%	33	25.0	44.0	32.0				37.0	27.0	25.0				24.0
Tartesso Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	29677 W Indianola Ave	Buckeye	85396	Maricopa County	Saddle Mountain Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 474-5400	340	19	18.3		99 (29.1%)	27 (7.9%)	195 (57.4%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (4.1%)	34.7	517^th of 909 public elementary schools	43.1%		34.7	527^th of 912 public elementary schools	42.2%	10	40.0	46.0					35.0	38.0					22.0		$8,544	$364	$91	$819	$6,329	$1,759	$8,089
Winters Well Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	35220 W Buckeye Rd	Tonopah	85354	Maricopa County	Saddle Mountain Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 474-5301	663	26	25.5		130 (19.6%)	0 (0.0%)	520 (78.4%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	13.9	807^th of 909 public elementary schools	11.2%		27.7	602^nd of 912 public elementary schools	34.0%	205	16.0	26.0	22.0				15.0	34.0	22.0				23.0		$8,738	$415	$136	$966	$6,352	$1,835	$8,187
Westpark Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	2700 S 257th Dr	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 435-3282	652	39	16.9		129 (19.8%)	81 (12.4%)	379 (58.1%)	5 (0.8%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (7.7%)	49.1	394^th of 909 public elementary schools	56.7%		43.6	447^th of 912 public elementary schools	51.0%	53	31.0	37.0	36.0	44.0	57.0	32.0	55.0	65.0	40.0	42.0	50.0	60.0	36.0	31.0	$9,185	$430	$87	$946	$6,898	$1,771	$8,669
Imagine Schools at Buckeye	Public, Charter	K-8	2400 S 247th Ave	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	West Gilbert Charter Elementary School Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 250-4580	441	18	24.5		106 (24.0%)	24 (5.4%)	281 (63.7%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	22 (5.0%)	17.8	733^rd of 909 public elementary schools	19.4%					(n/a)	23.0	27.0		29.0			30.0									$00			$00
John S McCain III Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3170 S 247th Ave	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 925-3400	777	36	21.5		189 (24.3%)	24 (3.1%)	515 (66.3%)	5 (0.6%)	12 (1.5%)	3 (0.4%)	29 (3.7%)	19.5	712^th of 909 public elementary schools	21.7%		20.9	687^th of 912 public elementary schools	24.7%	25	21.0	38.0	18.0	17.0	26.0	49.0	26.0	48.0	25.0	14.0	15.0	43.0	23.0	30.0	$10,733	$354	$80	$788	$7,314	$2,984	$10,299
Steven R. Jasinski Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4280 S 246th Ave	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 925-3100	855	42	20.3		162 (18.9%)	88 (10.3%)	551 (64.4%)	8 (0.9%)	5 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	38 (4.4%)	26.2	605^th of 909 public elementary schools	33.4%		19	722^nd of 912 public elementary schools	20.8%	117	16.0	33.0	25.0	43.0	36.0	38.0	30.0	46.0	21.0	34.0	30.0	31.0	22.0	28.0	$8,768	$431	$83	$946	$6,561	$1,692	$8,253
Sundance Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	23800 W Hadley St	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 847-8531	656	33	19.8		92 (14.0%)	82 (12.5%)	435 (66.3%)	9 (1.4%)	9 (1.4%)	4 (0.6%)	25 (3.8%)	26.1	607^th of 909 public elementary schools	33.2%		26.3	620^th of 912 public elementary schools	32.0%	13	37.0	34.0	17.0	25.0	40.0	24.0	54.0	38.0	16.0	23.0	20.0	33.0	21.0	16.0	$8,329	$520	$82	$1,121	$6,170	$1,557	$7,728
Palo Verde Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	10700 S. Palo Verde Road	Palo Verde	85343	Maricopa County	Palo Verde Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 327-3680	482	23	20.9		106 (22.0%)	10 (2.1%)	355 (73.7%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	32.3	543^rd of 909 public elementary schools	40.3%		26.9	611^th of 912 public elementary schools	33.0%	68	46.0	35.0	40.0	24.0	39.0	31.0	39.0	25.0	34.0				30.0		$13,346	$1,964	$1,954	$5,883	$7,679	$1,749	$9,428
Bales Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	25400 W Maricopa Rd	Buckeye	85326	Maricopa County	Buckeye Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 847-8503	699	35	19.9		117 (16.7%)	54 (7.7%)	507 (72.5%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.0%)	19.9	706^th of 909 public elementary schools	22.3%		34.5	529^th of 912 public elementary schools	42.0%	177	16.0	43.0	26.0	26.0	22.0	26.0	30.0	24.0	16.0		17.0	12.0	32.0	16.0	$9,848	$606	$92	$1,303	$7,002	$2,148	$9,151

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Sunset Elementary School

How many students attend Desert Sunset Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 648 students attended Desert Sunset Elementary School.

What district is Desert Sunset Elementary School in?

Saddle Mountain Unified School District

What is the racial makeup of Desert Sunset Elementary School?

Students at Desert Sunset Elementary School are 59% Hispanic, 24% White, 10% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Is Desert Sunset Elementary School a good school?

Desert Sunset Elementary School ranks 623^rd of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Desert Sunset Elementary School!

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Latest Arizona data All new data »

2024–25 dropout ratesDec 2, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesNov 7, 2025

2024–25 AASA & AzSCI test scoresOct 10, 2025

2023–24 dropout ratesJun 30, 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.