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Desert Mesa Elementary School

Q: Is Desert Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Desert Mesa Elementary School ranks 550 th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

550^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Desert Mesa Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 827 students in grades PK-5 in Yuma, Arizona, which is part of the Yuma Elementary District. The school's academic performance, as measured by state assessment proficiency rates, is generally below the district and state averages across grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, as well as its 5th-grade science proficiency, are all lower than the district and state averages.

Desert Mesa Elementary's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups. The school performs relatively well for its Military Connected students, ranking highly in this category compared to other Arizona elementary schools. However, the school struggles with its African American, Native American, and English Language Learner student populations, ranking in the bottom quartile of Arizona elementary schools for these subgroups. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 411 out of 1,109 Arizona elementary schools in 2017-2018 to 670 out of 1,226 in 2020-2021, and its SchoolDigger rating has also varied, ranging from 2 to 3 stars out of 5 over the past several years.

Nearby schools within the Yuma Elementary District, such as Alice Byrne Elementary, Palmcroft Elementary, and C.W. McGraw Elementary, generally perform at a similar or slightly lower level than Desert Mesa Elementary across academic metrics. However, Dorothy Hall Elementary, also in the Yuma Elementary District, outperforms Desert Mesa Elementary in several areas, including higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

876

Students ?

20.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,339

Per pupil spending ?

58.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2350 S Avenue 7 1/2 E
Yuma, AZ 85365-8603

(928) 502-8600

District: Yuma Elementary District

Students who attend Desert Mesa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Castle Dome Middle School
High:	Gila Ridge High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

77.4%

White:

19.3%

Two or more races:

1.5%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Desert Mesa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 52nd percentile in 2015 → 39th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (34% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg29%

Arizona avg39%

550^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Yuma Elementary District

228^th of 289Yuma 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	31.2	550 of 909	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.5	440 of 912	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.8	448 of 1245	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.9	505 of 1000	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.2	670 of 1226	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.2	511 of 1039	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.4	411 of 1109	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.6	447 of 1106	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.9	433 of 1079	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	45.4	456 of 955	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.9	471 of 1079	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.5	602 of 1158	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	48.2	614 of 1141	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	48.8	537 of 1075	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.6	543 of 1090	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	36.2	699 of 1062	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	23.3	797 of 895	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	46.1	397 of 620	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	26.8	305 of 451	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.9	826 of 975	15.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	14.4	517 of 589	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.8	432 of 602	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	65.7	368 of 1219	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.5	476 of 824	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.7	661 of 1219	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.4	584 of 862	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.7	374 of 1023	63.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	29.6	326 of 496	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.2	256 of 486	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.2	379 of 1170	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.5	423 of 716	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.2	614 of 1198	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.3	389 of 709	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.9	315 of 911	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	33.0	350 of 549	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.0	320 of 556	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.4	374 of 1116	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.3	428 of 618	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.4	259 of 820	68.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	497 of 626	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.9	446 of 628	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.2	539 of 1216	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.0	571 of 830	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.0	679 of 1220	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.3	422 of 850	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.2	396 of 1032	61.6%	★★★☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	30.8	30 of 37	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.7	34 of 60	43.3%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	70.2	25 of 145	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	82.5	8 of 101	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	35.5	194 of 239	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	54.0	241 of 617	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.4	395 of 1027	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	28.5	530 of 654	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	53.3	299 of 820	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.5	442 of 1201	63.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	374 of 465	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.3	321 of 486	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.0	335 of 1024	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.0	462 of 800	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.3	634 of 1161	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.4	331 of 595	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.4	211 of 720	70.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Military Connected (2023)83rd percentile+19 vs school

Special Education (2023)64th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2023)61st percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)36th percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2021)36th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2025)34th percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)32nd percentile-32 vs school

Male (2025)21st percentile-19 vs school

White (2025)20th percentile-20 vs school

Native American (2021)19th percentile-26 vs school

Migrant (2023)19th percentile-45 vs school

Female (2025)12th percentile-27 vs school

African American (2021)11th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts34%-6 vs state

Mathematics34%-6 vs state

Science33%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Very friendly staff, and excellent teachers!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Desert Mesa 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 (2023)	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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th 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 Mesa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2350 S Avenue 7 1/2 E	Yuma	85365	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-8600	876	43	20.6	58.9%	169 (19.3%)	10 (1.1%)	678 (77.4%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.5%)	31.2	550^th of 909 public elementary schools	39.5%		44.5	440^th of 912 public elementary schools	51.8%	110	24.0	41.0	37.0	38.0	41.0	23.0	33.0	$7,339	$1,233	$1,225	$3,691	$4,936		$4,881
Mary A Otondo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2251 S Otondo Dr	Yuma	85365	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-8500	893	38	23.8	65.8%	205 (23.0%)	12 (1.3%)	652 (73.0%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	17 (1.9%)	22.5	667^th of 909 public elementary schools	26.6%		22.8	654^th of 912 public elementary schools	28.3%	13	32.0	37.0	34.0	30.0	15.0	20.0	29.0	$7,098	$1,167	$1,188	$3,523	$4,786		$4,742
Sunrise Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9943 S. 28th Street	Yuma	85367	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-8800	655	34	19.5	58.9%	161 (24.6%)	3 (0.5%)	467 (71.3%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	14 (2.1%)	15.2	780^th of 909 public elementary schools	14.2%		18.8	728^th of 912 public elementary schools	20.2%	52	18.0	31.0	25.0	28.0	21.0	15.0	28.0	$6,475	$1,127	$1,187	$3,440	$4,231		$4,162
Dorothy Hall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5777 E 45th Place	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-8300	601	30	20.3	43.7%	130 (21.6%)	4 (0.7%)	455 (75.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	51.2	379^th of 909 public elementary schools	58.3%		55.6	360^th of 912 public elementary schools	60.5%	19	35.0	48.0	43.0	50.0	49.0	42.0	41.0	$7,355	$1,496	$1,227	$4,218	$4,724		$4,633
James B Rolle School	Public	PK, KG-6	2711 S Engler Ave	Yuma	85365	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-8200	567	28	20.2	64.8%	137 (24.2%)	4 (0.7%)	403 (71.1%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (2.6%)	27.9	583^rd of 909 public elementary schools	35.9%		28.9	586^th of 912 public elementary schools	35.7%	3	28.0	44.0	25.0	29.0	40.0	26.0	33.0	$8,366	$1,200	$1,261	$3,660	$5,783	$123	$5,905
C W Mcgraw Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2345 S Arizona Ave	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-7700	511	28	18.2	87.8%	33 (6.5%)	7 (1.4%)	456 (89.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.4%)	18.4	722^nd of 909 public elementary schools	20.6%		13	822^nd of 912 public elementary schools	9.9%	100	23.0	30.0	22.0	31.0		21.0	30.0	$7,512	$1,289	$1,221	$3,800	$4,761	$240	$5,001
AmeriSchools Academy - Yuma	Public, Charter	K-8	2098 S 3rd Ave	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	The Charter Foundation Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 329-1100	102	14	7.2		11 (10.8%)	2 (2.0%)	85 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	2 (2.0%)								(n/a)								$8,050	$1,567	$87	$3,222	$4,655	$1,741	$6,396
Amerischools Academy - Yuma North	Public, Charter	K-8	1220 S 4th Ave	Yuma	85018	Maricopa County	The Charter Foundation Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 919-7203	193	15	12.8		30 (15.5%)	3 (1.6%)	146 (75.6%)	4 (2.1%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.1%)								(n/a)								$8,371	$1,616	$90	$3,322	$3,356	$3,309	$6,665
Alice Byrne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	811 W 16th St	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-7500	289	15	19.2	70.7%	31 (10.7%)	6 (2.1%)	237 (82.0%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.8%)	32.2	544^th of 909 public elementary schools	40.2%		36.8	507^th of 912 public elementary schools	44.4%	37	21.0	43.0	37.0	39.0				$10,222	$1,310	$1,259	$3,879	$7,091	$561	$7,653
Palmcroft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 W Palmcroft Dr	Yuma	85364	Yuma County	Yuma Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(928) 502-8000	406	25	16.2	71.9%	31 (7.6%)	6 (1.5%)	346 (85.2%)	7 (1.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.0%)	24.1	638^th of 909 public elementary schools	29.8%		22.9	653^rd of 912 public elementary schools	28.4%	15	23.0	34.0	22.0	36.0	40.0	32.0	24.0	$9,558	$1,442	$1,264	$4,148	$6,110	$742	$6,852

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Mesa Elementary School

What district is Desert Mesa Elementary School in?

Yuma Elementary District

Is Desert Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Desert Mesa Elementary School ranks 550^th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Desert Mesa Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 876 students attended Desert Mesa Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Desert Mesa Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Castle Dome Middle School
High : Gila Ridge High School

What is the racial makeup of Desert Mesa Elementary School?

Students at Desert Mesa Elementary School are 77% Hispanic, 19% White, 1% Two or more races, 1% African American.

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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.