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Desert Springs Elementary School

Q: Is Desert Springs Elementary School a good school?

Desert Springs Elementary School ranks 230 th of 346 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

230^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 Idaho Elementary Schools

Better than 34% of Idaho elementary schools

Summary

Desert Springs Elementary School is a PK–5 school in Nampa, Idaho, serving 686 students as part of the Vallivue School District, and while it sits in the mid-range of Idaho elementary schools overall, it stands out as one of the stronger performers in its immediate area.

Despite ranking 230th of 346 Idaho elementary schools (34th percentile), Desert Springs compares favorably to most nearby schools. Among ten neighboring elementary schools, only Birch Elementary and Mosaics Public School rank higher, and Desert Springs outperforms other Vallivue district schools like Central Canyon Elementary School, Lakevue Elementary School, East Canyon Elementary School, and Skyway Elementary. The school also exceeds its district's averages in both math (40.2% vs. 34.7%) and ELA (52.8% vs. 50.3%). Its 4th grade ELA proficiency rate of 63.9% is a true standout—nearly 14 points above the state average and roughly 10 points higher than Birch's 4th grade ELA performance.

The school deserves attention for its dramatic improvement in attendance: chronic absenteeism fell from 32.0% in 2021–22 to just 15.9% today, the second-lowest rate among nearby schools and well below the district average of 20.1%. However, there are clear areas of focus. Math proficiency declines by grade level, falling to 32.6% by 5th grade, and 5th grade science proficiency (31.6%) trails the district and state by sizable margins, with Birch reaching 54.5% in the same subject. The school's student population has also become more economically diverse, with the free/reduced lunch rate rising from 39.4% to 57.7% over two years, making its above-district academic results all the more notable.

686

Students ?

19.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,529

Per pupil spending ?

57.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

18178 Santa Ana Avenue
Nampa, ID 83687-5131

(208) 453-4520

District: Vallivue School District

Students who attend Desert Springs Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sage Valley Middle School
High:	Ridgevue High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.0%

Hispanic:

43.7%

Two or more races:

3.1%

See top rated Idaho elementary schools

Compare Desert Springs Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2015 → 34th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Idaho average (42% vs 47% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2015

!Science scores 12 pts below the Idaho average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg41%

Idaho avg47%

230^th of 346

Idaho public elementary schools ?

Bottom 34%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Idaho Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 7Elementary Schools in the Vallivue School District

71^st of 101Vallivue School District among Idaho 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	Idaho percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	230 of 346	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.5	208 of 337	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.1	197 of 301	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.8	85 of 252	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.3	98 of 166	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.5	83 of 171	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.3	109 of 254	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	44.4	168 of 292	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.7	155 of 240	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	55.2	100 of 226	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.4	160 of 357	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	50.8	194 of 354	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.4	236 of 359	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	38.9	257 of 356	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	26.4	298 of 349	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	14.6	317 of 335	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2018	53.3	69 of 121	43.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	45.5	23 of 58	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	84.0	3 of 19	84.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2018	57.5	55 of 121	54.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	70.4	40 of 135	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	81.1	5 of 37	86.5%	★★★★☆
2021	70.5	2 of 11	81.8%	★★★★★
2019	71.2	8 of 18	55.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2024)70th percentile+36 vs school

Hispanic (2024)60th percentile+26 vs school

Male (2018)55th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2018)43rd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Idaho (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts53%~ state avg

Math40%-3 vs state

Science32%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Desert Springs 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISAT Math (2026)					ISAT Science (2026)			ISAT English Language Arts (2026)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2025)	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	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math 8th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science 5th Grade	ISAT Science 8th Grade	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Desert Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	18178 Santa Ana Avenue	Nampa	83687	Canyon County	Vallivue School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 453-4520	686	36	19.0	57.7%	343 (50.0%)	13 (1.9%)	300 (43.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.2%)	21 (3.1%)	35	230^th of 346 public elementary schools	33.5%		40.5	208^th of 337 public elementary schools	38.3%	22	44.8	42.5	32.6		40.2	31.6			45.3	63.9	46.3				52.8	$7,529	$1,066	$6,463
East Canyon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	18408 Northside Boulevard	Nampa	83687	Canyon County	Vallivue School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 453-4512	799	35	22.8	51.7%	419 (52.4%)	19 (2.4%)	318 (39.8%)	2 (0.3%)	9 (1.1%)	5 (0.6%)	27 (3.4%)	7.3	334^th of 346 public elementary schools	3.5%		25.6	262^nd of 337 public elementary schools	22.3%	72	20.3								27.3	24.7	41.6				31.3	$7,529	$1,066	$6,463
Skyway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19430 Ward Road	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Vallivue School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 453-4510	795	38	20.9	62.1%	339 (42.6%)	15 (1.9%)	410 (51.6%)	5 (0.6%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	17 (2.1%)	18.8	299^th of 346 public elementary schools	13.6%		18.1	290^th of 337 public elementary schools	13.9%	9	40.7	29.1	32.1		34.1	37.4			26.0	31.2	50.4				36.4	$7,529	$1,066	$6,463
Warhawk Elementary School	Public	K-5	8215 Linden Road	Nampa	83687	Canyon County	Vallivue School District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(208) 453-4565	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Willow Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	198 Elementary Lane	Nampa	83651	Canyon County	Nampa School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 468-4617	598	35	17.0	58.9%	318 (53.2%)	3 (0.5%)	242 (40.5%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	26 (4.3%)	22.7	285^th of 346 public elementary schools	17.6%		28.9	252^nd of 337 public elementary schools	25.2%	33	31.6	31.3	37.7		33.7	36.2			39.8	38.4	50.5				43.1	$7,567	$1,381	$6,186
Central Canyon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16437 Florida Avenue	Caldwell	83607	Canyon County	Vallivue School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 453-3367	654	35	18.6	59.9%	302 (46.2%)	16 (2.4%)	306 (46.8%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.2%)	27.4	264^th of 346 public elementary schools	23.7%		37.8	216^th of 337 public elementary schools	35.9%	48	44.6				33.7				44.0	43.0	40.5				42.5	$7,529	$1,066	$6,463
Lakevue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12843 Cirrus Drive	Nampa	83651	Canyon County	Vallivue School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 453-4536	915	42	21.7	49.8%	491 (53.7%)	23 (2.5%)	338 (36.9%)	11 (1.2%)	6 (0.7%)	7 (0.8%)	39 (4.3%)	21.7	288^th of 346 public elementary schools	16.8%		38.1	215^th of 337 public elementary schools	36.2%	73	42.7	38.5	23.4		35.3	32.7			44.1	40.7	40.6				41.8	$7,529	$1,066	$6,463
Heritage Community Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	1803 East Ustick Road	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Heritage Community Charter School Inc.	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 453-8070	512	24	21.3	66.4%	128 (25.0%)	1 (0.2%)	378 (73.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	14.8	312^th of 346 public elementary schools	9.8%		8.5	325^th of 337 public elementary schools	3.6%	13	25.0	41.7	21.7	19.2	21.7	40.0	26.9	33.9	23.3	41.7	36.7	20.3	45.5	42.3	34.7	$6,084	$917	$5,167
Birch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6900 Birch Lane	Nampa	83687	Canyon County	Vallivue School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 453-4544	663	33	20.0	47.8%	440 (66.4%)	7 (1.1%)	175 (26.4%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	26 (3.9%)	55.6	150^th of 346 public elementary schools	56.6%		47.9	172^nd of 337 public elementary schools	49.0%	22	47.3	52.0	46.4		48.6	54.5			49.5	53.5	63.9				55.7	$7,529	$1,066	$6,463
Van Buren Elementary School	Public	K-4	3115 Marble Front Road	Caldwell	83605	Canyon County	Caldwell District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 455-3326	458	27	16.9		148 (32.3%)	7 (1.5%)	284 (62.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.7%)	10.8	326^th of 346 public elementary schools	5.8%		9.9	317^th of 337 public elementary schools	5.9%	9	36.8	23.2			30.0				34.4	28.4					31.4	$7,967	$1,386	$6,581

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Springs Elementary School

How many students attend Desert Springs Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 686 students attended Desert Springs Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Desert Springs Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Sage Valley Middle School
High : Ridgevue High School

What district is Desert Springs Elementary School in?

Vallivue School District

Is Desert Springs Elementary School a good school?

Desert Springs Elementary School ranks 230^th of 346 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Desert Springs Elementary School?

Students at Desert Springs Elementary School are 50% White, 44% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

Rate Desert Springs Elementary School!

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Latest Idaho data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 19, 2026

2025–26 ISAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesJan 19, 2026

2024–25 ISAT test scoresAug 26, 2025

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