Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Prekindergarten· 14 schools in district

Desert Garden Elementary School

7020 W OCOTILLO RD, GLENDALE, AZ 85303Glendale Elementary District (4271) →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–PKNon-Charter
205
Students
Total enrolled
$10,862
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 24% vs nat'l
37/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 25% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 205 students in grades PK–PK in GLENDALE, Arizona.
24% below average funding
District spends $10,862 per pupil, 24% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 37th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Desert Garden Elementary School is a mid-sized prekindergarten in GLENDALE, Arizona, serving grades PK–PK with 205 students. The district invests $10,862 per student — 24% below the national average of $14,347. About 55% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 37/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Desert Garden Elementary School

205
Total Students
—
Student:Teacher
55%
Free Lunch
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–PK) are served by this school
Gender Distribution119 male · 86 female
58%
42%
Male 58%Female 42%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility55%
National avg 52% · 112 students
Student Composition
15%
72%
8%
Asian2%
White15%
Hispanic / Latino72%
Black8%
Multiracial2%
Native American1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 040342001254

Academic Outcomes at Desert Garden Elementary School

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
37
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 37th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 17th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 85303

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$10,862Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$10,862
State avg
$16,564
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$4,779
Student Support$2,064
Administration$1,303
Operations$1,629
Other$1,086
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $10,862 spent per student, an estimated $4,812 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
47%
18%
State government
46.6%
Local (property tax)
18.2%
Federal programs
35.2%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-average funding — $10,862/student, 24% less than the national average
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (37/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelPrekindergarten
GradesPK – PK
Location—
CountyMaricopa County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictGlendale Elementary District (4271) →
Phone: (623)237-4014
NCES ID: 040342001254
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in GLENDALE seeking a public school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Glendale Elementary District (4271)
Elem
Challenger Middle School
978 students · KG–08
● 37 opp94% FRL
Elem
Horizon School
932 students · KG–08
● 46 opp66% FRL
Elem
Bicentennial South School
896 students · PK–08
● 37 opp74% FRL
Elem
William C Jack School
830 students · PK–08
● 33 opp87% FRL
Elem
Glendale Landmark School
828 students · PK–08
● 33 opp93% FRL
Elem
Harold W Smith School
772 students · KG–08
● 33 opp98% FRL
Elem
Sunset Vista
735 students · PK–08
● 37 opp73% FRL
Elem
Desert Spirit
670 students · PK–08
● 37 opp84% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
7020 W OCOTILLO RD, GLENDALE, AZ 85303
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Prekindergarten
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.