The brief
A Cave Creek Unified District (4244) elementary school where students score 38 points above what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 1,652 of 2,019 schools in Arizona and 6 of 7 in Cave Creek Unified District (4244).
Desert Sun Academy is listed in Cave Creek Unified District (4244), and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.
- 202541%
- 202451%
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 5 sources, 2023–2025
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 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 63% (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.
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.Open the Phoenix school map to see school quality against home prices across the metro.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 12
- Car-Dependent
- Transit Score
- 0
- Minimal Transit
- Bike Score
- 27
- Somewhat Bikeable
- County reported crime
- 1,947/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.- 9.3Compare →
- 9.2Compare →
- 8.6Compare →
- 8.4Compare →
- 8.0Compare →
- 7.5Compare →
- 5.6Compare →
- Desert Sun Academy4.8
- not ratedCompare →
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 Sun Academy serve?
Desert Sun Academy serves students in grades Pre-K through 6th.
How many students attend Desert Sun Academy?
Desert Sun Academy has an enrollment of approximately 241 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sun Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sun Academy is 11.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Desert Sun Academy rank in AZ?
Desert Sun Academy ranks #1,652 of 2,019 schools in AZ.
What is Desert Sun Academy's MySchoolScout rating?
Desert Sun Academy has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 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 Sun Academy?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Desert Sun Academy has 59% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 63% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).
Is Desert Sun Academy a charter school?
No, Desert Sun Academy is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Desert Sun Academy a Title I school?
No, Desert Sun Academy is not currently a Title I school.
School facts
- Grades
- Pre-K – 6th
- Enrollment
- 241
- Student-teacher ratio
- 11.5:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 21
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Midsize City
- County
- Maricopa County
- Phone
- (480) 575-2900
- Rank in district
- #6 of 7
- Schools in district
- 8
- District spending per student
- $9,626
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 3.6%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
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.