The brief
A Nogales Unified District (4457) middle school where students score 40 points above what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 620 of 2,019 schools in Arizona and 2 of 11 in Nogales Unified District (4457).
Desert Shadows Middle School is listed in Nogales Unified District (4457), and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.
- 202540%
- 202436%
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 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 40% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 48% (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 85621; this does not measure the attendance area.
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.The area
- Median income
- $41,309
- Median home value
- $173,600
- Median rent
- $700/mo
- College educated
- 18.5%
- Homeownership
- 50.7%
- Poverty rate
- 25%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 85621; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 4
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 26
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 3,292/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Nogales. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Nogales), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Desert Shadows Middle School serve?
Desert Shadows Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.
How many students attend Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 765 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Middle School is 22.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Desert Shadows Middle School rank in AZ?
Desert Shadows Middle School ranks #620 of 2,019 schools in AZ.
What is Desert Shadows Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?
Desert Shadows Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.3 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 Shadows Middle School?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Desert Shadows Middle School has 40% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 48% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).
Is Desert Shadows Middle School a charter school?
No, Desert Shadows Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Desert Shadows Middle School a Title I school?
No, Desert Shadows Middle School is not currently a Title I school.
School facts
- Grades
- 6th – 8th
- Enrollment
- 765
- Student-teacher ratio
- 22.5:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 34
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Fringe Rural
- County
- Santa Cruz County
- Phone
- (520) 377-2646
- Rank in district
- #2 of 11
- Schools in district
- 11
- District spending per student
- $9,157
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 30.2%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 85621)
- 21,512
- Area average commute
- 20 min
- Area median age
- 37.5
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
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.