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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 Sky Middle School

Q: Is Desert Sky Middle School a good school?

Desert Sky Middle School ranks 93 rd of 536 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

93^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 536 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 83% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Desert Sky Middle School in Tucson serves 743 students in grades 6–8 in the Vail Unified District. Its test results are strong compared with Arizona overall, though they do not match the district in every subject. The key takeaway is that all-grade ELA proficiency matches the district at 60% and is 19 points above the state, while math is 48%—7 points below the district but 15 points above the state.

ELA and math are among the school’s strongest results locally, but it is not the top nearby school in either subject. Desert Sky ranks second among the nearby schools with all-grade results in ELA, behind Rincon Vista Middle School at 64%; in math, its 48% is just behind Emily Gray Junior High School at 49%. Seventh grade stands out: Desert Sky’s students score 66% in ELA and 50% in math, the highest results among the same-district peers Old Vail Middle School and Rincon Vista. Eighth-grade science is also strong against the state, at 49% versus 30%, but falls short of the district’s 54%; locally, it is just behind Rincon Vista’s 50% and tied with Old Vail.

Science proficiency has eased from 52% in 2022–2023 to 49% in 2024–2025, while the state rose from 27% to 30%; Desert Sky’s lead over the state narrowed from 25 points to 19, and its result shifted from 3 points above the district to 5 below. SchoolDigger ranks Desert Sky 93rd of 536 Arizona schools (83rd percentile, 4 stars) for 2025–2026, the highest percentile among the nearby schools provided; its student–teacher ratio is 20.3, compared with the local average of 16.3. SchoolDigger’s statewide measure of how well schools serve student groups places Multi-racial Students at the 31st percentile (rank 18 of 26), down 55 percentile points from 2022–2023; Special Education Students were at the 49th percentile in 2022–2023, compared with the school’s overall 93rd percentile that year. The supplied free/reduced-lunch rate is 24% for 2022–2023, but nearby rates were not provided, and ELA and math results are available for only one year.

743

Students ?

20.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$5,733

Per pupil spending ?

23.4%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

9850 E Rankin Loop
Tucson, AZ 85747-5525

(520) 879-2700

District: Vail Unified District

Students who attend Desert Sky Middle School usually attend:

High:	Andrada Polytechnic High School
	Cienega High School
	Empire High School

Feeder schools for Desert Sky Middle School:

Elementary:	Cottonwood Elementary School
	Senita Valley Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.1%

White:

38.8%

Two or more races:

9.0%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Desert Sky Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 94th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (54% vs 37% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Arizona middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg57%

Arizona avg37%

93^rd of 536

Arizona public middle schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 6% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4Middle Schools in the Vail Unified District

57^th of 267Vail 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	76.1	93 of 536	82.6%	★★★★☆
2025	75.6	106 of 552	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	78.8	91 of 550	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	89.6	60 of 854	93.0%	★★★★★
2022	78.7	93 of 605	84.6%	★★★★☆
2021	78.7	146 of 832	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	89.6	46 of 605	92.4%	★★★★★
2018	92.7	35 of 711	95.1%	★★★★★
2017	91.5	42 of 695	94.0%	★★★★★
2016	92.0	42 of 677	93.8%	★★★★★
2015	83.3	76 of 521	85.4%	★★★★☆
2014	92.1	27 of 690	96.1%	★★★★★
2013	86.7	51 of 787	93.5%	★★★★★
2012	87.2	48 of 772	93.8%	★★★★★
2011	89.0	44 of 685	93.6%	★★★★★
2010	87.8	53 of 692	92.3%	★★★★★
2009	90.0	32 of 663	95.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	53.0	151 of 400	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.7	97 of 129	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	61.8	112 of 573	80.5%	★★★★☆
2018	91.4	5 of 125	96.0%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	76.8	44 of 247	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	68.2	104 of 404	74.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	73.2	26 of 145	82.1%	★★★★☆
2021	41.7	298 of 606	50.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	68.2	85 of 370	77.0%	★★★★☆
2025	69.3	84 of 395	78.7%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	62 of 386	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	90.9	44 of 806	94.5%	★★★★★
2022	72.3	97 of 494	80.4%	★★★★☆
2021	79.5	125 of 820	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	90.8	26 of 466	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	94.6	20 of 624	96.8%	★★★★★

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	49.7	48 of 166	71.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	76.6	50 of 338	85.2%	★★★★☆
2025	67.3	83 of 345	75.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.4	49 of 329	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	88.4	40 of 760	94.7%	★★★★★
2022	71.0	86 of 392	78.1%	★★★★☆
2021	73.6	123 of 802	84.7%	★★★★☆
2019	93.4	21 of 387	94.6%	★★★★★
2018	97.3	5 of 543	99.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	75.4	41 of 328	87.5%	★★★★☆
2025	76.7	50 of 344	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	78.6	42 of 320	86.9%	★★★★☆
2023	87.7	39 of 717	94.6%	★★★★★
2022	63.8	103 of 369	72.1%	★★★★☆
2018	96.6	10 of 503	98.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	64.9	100 of 370	73.0%	★★★★☆
2025	62.1	112 of 379	70.4%	★★★★☆
2024	64.4	102 of 370	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	85.2	79 of 810	90.2%	★★★★★
2022	72.6	90 of 476	81.1%	★★★★☆
2021	74.8	164 of 818	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	78.8	71 of 435	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	89.0	54 of 617	91.2%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	64.8	1 of 2	50.0%	★★★★★
2023	84.3	6 of 110	94.5%	★★★★★
2022	77.5	8 of 68	88.2%	★★★★☆
2021	57.6	43 of 143	69.9%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	18 of 26	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	73.1	54 of 384	85.9%	★★★★☆
2021	60.3	189 of 650	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.6	9 of 43	79.1%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	64.1	45 of 390	88.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	37.6	186 of 363	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.6	129 of 789	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	95.9	3 of 178	98.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	64.8	72 of 270	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	74.4	49 of 277	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	74.3	50 of 288	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	88.6	39 of 675	94.2%	★★★★★
2022	75.8	53 of 446	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	76.7	115 of 780	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	79.3	45 of 337	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	86.2	34 of 436	92.2%	★★★★★

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)

Native American (2021)88th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)88th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)85th percentile+3 vs school

Asian (2023)82nd percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)82nd percentile-11 vs school

Female (2026)77th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)73rd percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)73rd percentile-10 vs school

Foster Care (2021)71st percentile-11 vs school

African American (2023)62nd percentile-31 vs school

Military Connected (2024)50th percentile-33 vs school

Special Education (2023)49th percentile-44 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)31st percentile-52 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts60%+19 vs state

Mathematics48%+15 vs state

2.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

While they do have the right intentions of excelling, they are failing to provide realism and teach how to be diverse. This is a grave mistake and it needs to be addressed. One of the rules cleary is in violation of the freedom of speech and its discriminatory in nature. Unallowing 'Un-Natural' hair coloring is one way of setting a bad example. Using the excuse that it causes a distraction is opinionated and no evidence to come to their conclusion exists. Children and obviously adults of today need to learn that appearances are not what makes a person.

I still give an average score, but the school can definitely get better if they step back and look at things outside of their paradigm. Close Quote

Schools Near Desert Sky 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 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 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 Sky Middle School	Public	6-8	9850 E Rankin Loop	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2700	743	37	20.3	23.4%	288 (38.8%)	32 (4.3%)	328 (44.1%)	16 (2.2%)	7 (0.9%)	5 (0.7%)	67 (9.0%)	76.1	93^rd of 536 public middle schools	82.6%		75.6	106^th of 552 public middle schools	80.8%	13			59.0	66.0	57.0	60.0			46.0	50.0	48.0	48.0	$5,733	$76	$232	$383	$5,282	$144	$5,425
Rincon Vista Middle School	Public	6-8	10770 E Bilby Rd	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-3200	712	35	20.5	22.9%	291 (40.9%)	43 (6.0%)	291 (40.9%)	21 (2.9%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	61 (8.6%)	73.6	104^th of 536 public middle schools	80.6%		71.4	126^th of 552 public middle schools	77.2%	22			67.0	55.0	67.0	64.0			55.0	30.0	46.0	44.0	$5,380	$50	$06	$105	$5,141	$184	$5,324
Secrist Middle School	Public	6-8	3400 S Houghton Rd	Tucson	85730	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 731-5300	248	20	12.5	63.7%	71 (28.6%)	26 (10.5%)	121 (48.8%)	8 (3.2%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.7%)	18.7	421^st of 536 public middle schools	21.5%					(n/a)			25.0	22.0	32.0	27.0						8.0		$00			$00
Old Vail Middle School	Public	6-8	13299 E Colossal Cave Rd	Vail	85641	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2400	811	40	20.3	14.7%	419 (51.7%)	26 (3.2%)	277 (34.2%)	6 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	78 (9.6%)	69.4	127^th of 536 public middle schools	76.3%		68.6	141^st of 552 public middle schools	74.5%	14			59.0	65.0	47.0	57.0			45.0	46.0	42.0	45.0	$5,515	$70	$123	$262	$5,068	$255	$5,323
Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School	Public	5-8	5385 E Littletown Rd	Tucson	85756	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-4900	435	22	19.4	56.8%	26 (6.0%)	27 (6.2%)	358 (82.3%)	3 (0.7%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	14.5	468^th of 536 public middle schools	12.7%		15.7	475^th of 552 public middle schools	13.9%	7			17.0	31.0	20.0	23.0						4.0	$7,924	$712	$56	$1,480	$6,594	$562	$7,156
Gridley Middle School	Public	6-8	350 S Harrison Rd	Tucson	85748	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 731-4600	501	34	14.5	48.7%	191 (38.1%)	42 (8.4%)	209 (41.7%)	11 (2.2%)	6 (1.2%)	7 (1.4%)	35 (7.0%)	23.6	382^nd of 536 public middle schools	28.7%		25.8	369^th of 552 public middle schools	33.2%	13			31.0	39.0	30.0	34.0			18.0	16.0	20.0	18.0		$00			$00
Gallego Intermediate Fine Arts Magnet School	Public	4-8	3700 E Alvord Rd	Tucson	85706	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-4700	768	36	21.3	47.9%	15 (2.0%)	8 (1.0%)	729 (94.9%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.8%)	25.5	368^th of 536 public middle schools	31.3%		24	384^th of 552 public middle schools	30.4%	16	42.0	37.0	32.0	44.0	36.0	38.0	38.0	49.0	12.0	15.0	17.0	25.0	$6,089	$470	$14	$955	$5,212	$393	$5,605
Magee Middle School	Public	6-8	8300 E Speedway Blvd	Tucson	85710	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 731-5000	283	27	10.5	57.6%	89 (31.4%)	31 (11.0%)	122 (43.1%)	10 (3.5%)	3 (1.1%)	7 (2.5%)	21 (7.4%)	14.6	467^th of 536 public middle schools	12.9%		16.4	465^th of 552 public middle schools	15.8%	2			28.0	26.0	21.0	25.0			18.0		13.0	13.0		$00			$00
Alice Vail Middle School	Public	6-8	5350 E 16th St	Tucson	85711	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 584-5400	573	40	14.5	53.6%	155 (27.1%)	64 (11.2%)	286 (49.9%)	12 (2.1%)	12 (2.1%)	10 (1.7%)	34 (5.9%)	21.2	404^th of 536 public middle schools	24.6%		29.2	341^st of 552 public middle schools	38.2%	63			31.0	31.0	30.0	31.0			18.0	17.0	21.0	19.0		$00			$00
Academy of Tucson Middle School	Public, Charter	5-8	2300 N Tanque Verde Loop Rd	Tucson	85710	Pima County	Academy of Tucson Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 749-1413	143	12	11.9	49.0%	50 (35.0%)	9 (6.3%)	66 (46.2%)	1 (0.7%)	2 (1.4%)	1 (0.7%)	14 (9.8%)	22	396^th of 536 public middle schools	26.1%		28.2	352^nd of 552 public middle schools	36.2%	44			33.0	32.0	23.0	29.0						10.0		$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Sky Middle School

What district is Desert Sky Middle School in?

Vail Unified District

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

Students who attend Desert Sky Middle School usually go on to attend Andrada Polytechnic High School

What is the racial makeup of Desert Sky Middle School?

Students at Desert Sky Middle School are 44% Hispanic, 39% White, 9% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% Asian.

Is Desert Sky Middle School a good school?

Desert Sky Middle School ranks 93^rd of 536 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Desert Sky Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 743 students attended Desert Sky Middle School.

Rate Desert Sky Middle School!

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Latest Arizona data All new data »

2015–16 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 AASA test scoresNewOct 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesDec 2, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesNov 7, 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.