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Public middle school · Washington Elementary School District (4260) · Phoenix, Arizona

Desert Foothills Middle School

Desert Foothills Middle School rates 6.4, right at the middle of Washington Elementary School District (4260)'s middle schools, whose rated median is 6.4.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.4this school

6.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Washington Elementary School District (4260) median is 6.4.

#1,037 of 2,019 schools in Arizona · Washington Elementary School District (4260): 5 middle schools rated, median 6.4

The brief

A Washington Elementary School District (4260) middle school where students score 27 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,037 of 2,019 schools in Arizona and 20 of 33 in Washington Elementary School District (4260).

Desert Foothills Middle School is listed in Washington Elementary School District (4260), and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math20%9 points below the Arizona average of 29%2025 AASA
Reading33%8 points below the Arizona average of 41%2025 AASA
Proficiency has held near 27% across the 2-year record (2024–2025).2025 AASA; 40 test records from AZ state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.8
40% of the rating
Academics
5.9
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.0
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 32% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 45% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AASA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AASA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 85053; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Desert Foothills Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$66,870
Median home value
$329,500
Median rent
$1,385/mo
College educated
25.9%
Homeownership
61.4%
Poverty rate
13.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 85053; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
60
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
43
Some Transit
Bike Score
47
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,733/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Phoenix. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Phoenix), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.0Compare →
  2. 7.4Compare →
  3. 6.7Compare →
  4. Desert Foothills Middle Schoolthis school
    6.4
  5. 5.0Compare →
  6. 4.9Compare →
  7. 4.7Compare →
  8. 4.7Compare →
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Desert Foothills Middle School among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Desert Foothills Middle School serve?

Desert Foothills Middle School serves students in grades 7th through 8th.

How many students attend Desert Foothills Middle School?

Desert Foothills Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 614 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Foothills Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Desert Foothills Middle School is 13.6:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Desert Foothills Middle School rank in AZ?

Desert Foothills Middle School ranks #1,037 of 2,019 schools in AZ.

What is Desert Foothills Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Desert Foothills Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Desert Foothills Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Desert Foothills Middle School has 32% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 45% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Desert Foothills Middle School a charter school?

No, Desert Foothills Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Desert Foothills Middle School a Title I school?

No, Desert Foothills Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

School facts

Grades
7th – 8th
Enrollment
614
Student-teacher ratio
13.6:1
Teachers (FTE)
45
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
Maricopa County
Rank in district
#20 of 33
Schools in district
33
District spending per student
$12,008
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
18.8%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 85053)
29,719
Area average commute
29.8 min
Area median age
36.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Arizona Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.