Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Desert Sage Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
623rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools
Better than 34% of Colorado elementary schools
Summary

Desert Sage Elementary School in Pueblo West, CO, serves 368 students in grades PK–5 and is part of Pueblo County School District 70. The school currently holds a 2-star rating and ranks near the 34th percentile of Colorado elementary schools. About 60% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a higher rate than most nearby District 70 elementary schools, and chronic absenteeism sits at 29.8% — above the state average of 28.4%.

On 2025–26 CMAS assessments, Desert Sage trails both the district and state in all core subjects. English Language Arts proficiency is 34.8% (compared to 43.4% district and 44.7% state), math is 31.1% (33.1% district, 37.3% state), and 5th grade science is 19.3% (31.7% district, 36.1% state). Among nearby schools, Desert Sage posted the lowest ELA and science proficiency, while Cedar Ridge Elementary School reached 56.6% in ELA and Swallows Charter Academy reached 50.0% in science. A notable bright spot is 3rd grade math, where 44.9% of Desert Sage students are proficient — above both the district (43.3%) and state (41.5%). Math proficiency has also improved steadily over four years, from 24.1% to 31.1%, while ELA has remained essentially flat.

Desert Sage's student-teacher ratio of 15.8 is lower than most nearby schools, including Cedar Ridge (18.3) and Sierra Vista Elementary School (17.5), yet achievement remains near the bottom — suggesting attendance, mobility, and instructional quality may play larger roles than class size. Science has been a persistent weakness, hovering at roughly half the state proficiency rate. The school has also declined from the 61st percentile statewide in 2015–16 to its current 34th percentile ranking. Still, the steady gains in math and the strong 3rd grade results show identifiable strengths the school can build on to reverse its long-term trend.

368
Students ?
15.8
Student/teacher ratio ?
$12,293
Per pupil spending ?
60.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 935 South Palomar Drive
       Pueblo West, CO  81007-6449

(719) 647-8878

District: Pueblo County School District 70


Students who attend Desert Sage Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Pueblo West High School
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
48.1%
White:
42.7%
Two or more races:
5.7%
more
 See top rated Colorado elementary schools

 Compare Desert Sage Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 48th percentile in 2015 → 34th in 2026
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Colorado average (31% vs 41% meeting standards)
!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2015
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school31%
District avg38%
Colorado avg41%
623rd of 943
Colorado public elementary schools ?
Bottom 34%▼ down 27 pts since 2016
From top 39% (2016) to bottom 34% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
10th of 11Elementary Schools in the Pueblo County School District 70
42nd of 115Pueblo County School District 70 among Colorado 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202629.8623 of 94333.9%★★☆☆☆
202528.8626 of 95034.1%★★☆☆☆
202430.1614 of 94334.9%★★☆☆☆
202330.2606 of 93335.0%★★☆☆☆
202233.9581 of 92136.9%★★☆☆☆
201936.4583 of 96539.6%★★☆☆☆
201839.5529 of 91742.3%★★☆☆☆
201741.3501 of 92946.1%★★☆☆☆
201657.0353 of 91461.4%★★★☆☆
201543.3490 of 93847.8%★★☆☆☆
201453.9462 of 96252.0%★★★☆☆
201361.7381 of 95460.1%★★★☆☆
201255.8452 of 93551.7%★★★☆☆
201151.0499 of 93546.6%★★☆☆☆
201056.1453 of 92551.0%★★★☆☆
200956.1417 of 87252.2%★★★☆☆
200863.0336 of 84960.4%★★★☆☆
200736.8584 of 85231.5%★★☆☆☆
200652.1443 of 82946.6%★★☆☆☆
200556.8389 of 82352.7%★★★☆☆
200454.1406 of 80849.8%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202623.3521 of 69224.7%★☆☆☆☆
202524.1513 of 69426.1%★☆☆☆☆
202439.7409 of 68440.2%★★☆☆☆
202319.7514 of 64219.9%★☆☆☆☆
202238.7355 of 59540.3%★★☆☆☆
201926.3543 of 75828.4%★☆☆☆☆
201829.0491 of 69028.8%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202656.778 of 24968.7%★★★☆☆
202277.220 of 15386.9%★★★★☆
201877.325 of 17285.5%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202641.2183 of 31942.6%★★☆☆☆
202541.4193 of 33742.7%★★☆☆☆
202350.2120 of 26554.7%★★★☆☆
202259.655 of 20372.9%★★★★☆
201943.7180 of 33245.8%★★☆☆☆
201848.8158 of 30848.7%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202622.6529 of 69423.8%★☆☆☆☆
202520.5537 of 70023.3%★☆☆☆☆
202415.5584 of 68314.5%★☆☆☆☆
202326.1473 of 64927.1%★☆☆☆☆
202234.2377 of 59436.5%★★☆☆☆
201935.2473 of 76438.1%★★☆☆☆
201834.9433 of 69337.5%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
20255.2543 of 5511.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202310.3504 of 5254.0%☆☆☆☆☆
201921.8483 of 59619.0%★☆☆☆☆
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)
Hispanic (2026)69th percentile+35 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile+9 vs school
Female (2026)25th percentile-9 vs school
Male (2026)24th percentile-10 vs school
White (2025)1st percentile-33 vs school
By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts35%-10 vs state
Math31%-6 vs state
Science19%-17 vs state

4.0
4 ratings · 3 written reviews
53
40
30
20
11
Rate Desert Sage Elementary School
Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.
Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.
Tap a star to rate
What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, November 13, 2014

Open Quote Desert Sage Elementary is a corrupt school from the top down. Beware do not send you child. I am in the process of removing my child from this horrible environment. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Open Quote I have never seen a staff including teachers, principal, secretary, and everyone else who works at Desert Sage, care for children the way they do at this school.

Every child is treated as if they are the only one. Every need of every child is met at this school! Close Quote


Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Open Quote Desert Sage Elementary is an excellent school! I currently have 1 brother who is enrolled in the school,(I am 26 so this is not a student comment)and he just loves it. He has amazing teachers each year he has attended the school and my mother is a huge part of the PTA, which really tries to do a lot for the children. I highly recommend Desert Sage! Close Quote





Schools Near Desert Sage Elementary School

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private






Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Sage Elementary School

Desert Sage Elementary School ranks 623rd of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2024-25 school year, 368 students attended Desert Sage Elementary School.

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

High : Pueblo West High School

Students at Desert Sage Elementary School are 48% Hispanic, 43% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Rate Desert Sage Elementary School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Desert Sage Elementary School!


Latest Colorado data All new data »
2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026
2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026
2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026
2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025


SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado 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.

Diagnostics