Desert Sky Middle School

Public 6-8

 9850 E Rankin Loop
       Tucson, AZ  85747-5525


(520) 879-2700

District: Vail Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
60th of 854 Arizona Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,733 Help


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

Student/teacher ratio:  19.6 Help
Number of students:  764

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
46.9%
White:
39.0%
Two or more races:
7.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  23.8% Help


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 Compare Desert Sky Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Desert Sky Middle School ranks better than 93% of middle schools in Arizona. It also ranks 2nd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Vail Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.58. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (46.9%), White (39%), two or more races (7.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 23.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Vail Unified District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Sky Middle School is 19.6. 2 middle schools in the Vail Unified District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Desert Sky Middle School employs 38.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Sky Middle School is $5,733, which is the 2nd highest among 4 middle schools in the Vail Unified District.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Desert Sky Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Sky Middle School 60th of 854 Arizona public middle schools. (See Desert Sky Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Vail Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Vail Unified District 69th of 540 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Desert Sky Middle School?

Rank History for Desert Sky Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 89.98 32nd 663 95.2%
2010 87.83 53rd 692 92.3%
2011 89.03 44th 685 93.6%
2012 87.17 48th 772 93.8%
2013 86.72 51st 787 93.5%
2014 92.11 27th 690 96.1%
2015 83.34 76th 521 85.4%
2016 91.97 42nd 677 93.8%
2017 91.50 42nd 695 94.0%
2018 92.74 35th 711 95.1%
2019 89.60 46th 605 92.4%
2021 78.70 146th 832 82.5%
2022 78.67 93rd 605 84.6%
2023 89.58 60th 854 93.0%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.65 9th 43 79.1%
2021 60.25 189th 650 70.9%
2023 73.12 54th 384 85.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 41.74 298th 606 50.8%
2023 73.17 26th 145 82.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.94 3rd 178 98.3%
2021 59.63 129th 789 83.7%
2023 37.65 186th 363 48.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.57 10th 503 98.0%
2022 63.81 103rd 369 72.1%
2023 87.66 39th 717 94.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.65 20th 624 96.8%
2019 90.80 26th 466 94.4%
2021 79.50 125th 820 84.8%
2022 72.28 97th 494 80.4%
2023 90.86 44th 806 94.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 49.74 48th 166 71.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 57.64 43rd 143 69.9%
2022 77.46 8th 68 88.2%
2023 84.26 6th 110 94.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.98 54th 617 91.2%
2019 78.78 71st 435 83.7%
2021 74.82 164th 818 80.0%
2022 72.57 90th 476 81.1%
2023 85.17 79th 810 90.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 68.21 104th 404 74.3%
2023 76.81 44th 247 82.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.36 5th 125 96.0%
2021 61.84 112th 573 80.5%
2022 41.74 97th 129 24.8%
2023 52.97 151st 400 62.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 97.28 5th 543 99.1%
2019 93.44 21st 387 94.6%
2021 73.63 123rd 802 84.7%
2022 71.00 86th 392 78.1%
2023 88.42 40th 760 94.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 64.14 45th 390 88.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.24 34th 436 92.2%
2019 79.34 45th 337 86.6%
2021 76.73 115th 780 85.3%
2022 75.76 53rd 446 88.1%
2023 88.55 39th 675 94.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Desert Sky Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)
0%

0%

50%

0%

50%

  

by a parent
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Open Quote 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



Enrollment information for Desert Sky Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2002 481 51 13 140 6 n/a n/a 0 691
2003 481 51 13 140 6 n/a n/a 0 691
2004 467 61 15 145 5 n/a n/a 0 693
2005 460 52 16 134 2 n/a n/a 0 664
2006 439 54 18 133 2 n/a n/a 0 646
2007 481 51 28 162 4 n/a n/a 0 726
2008 490 46 34 162 3 n/a n/a 0 735
2009 481 48 31 184 4 n/a n/a 0 748
2010 450 39 28 175 5 n/a n/a 0 697
2011 419 32 25 180 7 1 0 0 664
2012 427 46 25 194 6 1 1 0 700
2013 457 51 24 213 6 0 6 0 757
2014 430 49 21 226 5 0 10 0 741
2015 420 54 28 237 3 1 14 0 757
2016 398 56 28 264 3 3 22 0 774
2017 387 47 36 255 5 5 23 0 758
2018 353 40 27 281 3 4 29 0 737
2019 341 31 21 252 4 2 32 0 683
2020 351 23 15 317 4 3 40 0 753
2021 326 17 16 342 4 3 53 0 761
2022 329 25 16 362 5 4 54 0 795
2023 298 26 21 358 3 4 54 0 764

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Desert Sky Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 691 43.3 16.0 14.9
2003 691 43.3 16.0 14.9
2004 693 42.6 16.3 15.4
2005 664 51.6 12.9 n/a
2006 646 39.6 16.3 13.5
2007 726 39.3 18.5 12.4
2008 735 40.3 18.2 13.3
2009 748 43.0 17.4 14.3
2010 697 36.0 19.3 20.1
2011 664 31.8 20.8 20
2012 700 30.0 23.3 21.4
2013 757 35.3 21.3 27.1
2014 741 36.8 20.0 27.3
2015 757 34.0 22.2 29.7
2016 774 40.0 19.3 n/a
2017 758 38.5 19.6 28.8
2018 737 41.3 17.8 74.9
2019 683 35.8 19.0 25.8
2020 753 34.2 21.9 29
2021 761 37.5 20.2 n/a
2022 795 35.8 22.1 12.8
2023 764 38.8 19.6 23.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Desert Sky Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 691 43.3 16.0 14.9
2003 691 43.3 16.0 14.9
2004 693 42.6 16.3 15.4
2005 664 51.6 12.9 n/a
2006 646 39.6 16.3 13.5
2007 726 39.3 18.5 12.4
2008 735 40.3 18.2 13.3
2009 748 43.0 17.4 14.3
2010 697 36.0 19.3 20.1
2011 664 31.8 20.8 20
2012 700 30.0 23.3 21.4
2013 757 35.3 21.3 27.1
2014 741 36.8 20.0 27.3
2015 757 34.0 22.2 29.7
2016 774 40.0 19.3 n/a
2017 758 38.5 19.6 28.8
2018 737 41.3 17.8 74.9
2019 683 35.8 19.0 25.8
2020 753 34.2 21.9 29
2021 761 37.5 20.2 n/a
2022 795 35.8 22.1 12.8
2023 764 38.8 19.6 23.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Desert Sky Middle School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $220 (2.7%) $76 (0.9%) $516 (6.4%) $6,811 (84.3%) $973 (12.0%) $7,783 (96.3%) $8,079
2020 $186 (2.4%) $128 (1.7%) $500 (6.5%) $6,429 (83.9%) $922 (12.0%) $7,351 (95.9%) $7,665
2021 $50 (1.0%) $09 (0.2%) $110 (2.1%) $4,993 (96.2%) $140 (2.7%) $5,133 (98.9%) $5,192
2022 $76 (1.3%) $232 (4.0%) $383 (6.7%) $5,282 (92.1%) $144 (2.5%) $5,425 (94.6%) $5,733

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Sky Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 46th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 60th of 854 Middle schools
 0.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students683764
 11.9%
African American3126
 16.1%
American Indian43
 25%
Asian2121
Hispanic252358
 42.1%
Pacific Islander24
 100%
White341298
 12.6%
Two or More Races3254
 68.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients25.8%23.8%
 1.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Sky Middle School

Yes. Desert Sky Middle School ranks in the top 7.0% of Arizona middle schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 764 students attended Desert Sky Middle School.

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

Students at Desert Sky Middle School are 47% Hispanic, 39% White, 7% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Asian.


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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. Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

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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