Desert Mountain High School

12575 E. Via Linda
Scottsdale, AZ 85259
(School attendance zone shown in map)
Rating
8/
10
Top 30%
Desert Mountain High School serves 1,894 students in grades 9-12.
Desert Mountain High School placed in the top 30% of all schools in Arizona for overall test scores (math proficiency is top 30%, and reading proficiency is top 50%) for the 2020-21 school year.
The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 49% (which is higher than the Arizona state average of 32%) for the 2020-21 school year. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 47% (which is higher than the Arizona state average of 39%) for the 2020-21 school year.
The student:teacher ratio of 22:1 is higher than the Arizona state level of 17:1.
Minority enrollment is 25% of the student body (majority Asian and Hispanic), which is lower than the Arizona state average of 65% (majority Hispanic).

Quick Stats (2023-24)

  • Grades: 9-12
  • Enrollment: 1,894 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 22:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 25%
  • Graduation Rate
    : 96% (Top 5% in AZ)
  • Overall Testing Rank
    : Top 30%
  • Math Proficiency
    : 49% (Top 30%)
  • Reading Proficiency
    : 47% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AZ Dept. of Education

Top Rankings

Desert Mountain High School ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Arizona for:

Category
Attribute

School Overview

Desert Mountain High School's student population of 1,894 students has declined by 12% over five school years.
The teacher population of 87 teachers has declined by 7% over five school years.
Grades Offered
Grades 9-12
Total Students
1,894 students
This chart display total students of Desert Mountain High School by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Gender %
This chart display gender of Desert Mountain High School
Total Classroom Teachers
87 teachers
This chart display the total teachers of Desert Mountain High School by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Students by Grade
This chart display the students of Desert Mountain High School by grade.

School Rankings

Desert Mountain High School is ranked within the top 30% of all 1,854 schools in Arizona (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2020-21 school year.
The diversity score of Desert Mountain High School is 0.42, which is less than the diversity score at state average of 0.65. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Definition of Terms 2021-2022 School Year Data
This School
State Level (AZ)
Overall Testing Rank
#522 out of 1854 schools
(Top 30%)
This chart display the overall school rank of Desert Mountain High School, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
49%
32%
This chart display the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of public schools in Arizona by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
47%
39%
This chart display the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Arizona by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
22:1
17:1
This chart display the student teacher ratio of Desert Mountain High School and the public school average student teacher ratio of Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
American Indian
1%
5%
This chart display the percentage of American Indian students in Desert Mountain High School and percentage of American Indian public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Asian
10%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of Asian public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Hispanic
9%
47%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of Hispanic public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Black
3%
6%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of Black public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
White
75%
35%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of White public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
Two or more races
2%
4%
This chart display the percentage of students of two or more races in Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of public school students of two or more races in Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
All Ethnic Groups
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Desert Mountain High School.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of public school students of all ethnic groups in AZ.
Diversity Score
0.42
This chart display the diversity score of Desert Mountain High School and the public school average diversity score of Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Graduation Rate
96%
76%
This chart display graduation rate of Desert Mountain High School and public school graduation rate of Arizona by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Eligible for Free Lunch
3%
29%
This chart display the percentage of students who is eligible for free lunch in Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for free lunch in Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Eligible for Reduced Lunch (20-21)
2%
9%
This chart display the percentage of students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Desert Mountain High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Arizona by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Source: 2021-2022 (latest school year available) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AZ Dept. of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Desert Mountain High School's ranking?
Desert Mountain High School is ranked #522 out of 1,854 schools, which ranks it among the top 30% of public schools in Arizona.
What schools are Desert Mountain High School often compared to?
Desert Mountain High Schoolis often viewed alongside schools like Chaparral High School by visitors of our site.
What percent of students have achieved state testing proficiency in math and reading?
49% of students have achieved math proficiency (compared to the 32% AZ state average), while 47% of students have achieved reading proficiency (compared to the 39% AZ state average).
What is the graduation rate of Desert Mountain High School?
The graduation rate of Desert Mountain High School is 96%, which is higher than the Arizona state average of 76%.
How many students attend Desert Mountain High School?
1,894 students attend Desert Mountain High School.
What is the racial composition of the student body?
75% of Desert Mountain High School students are White, 10% of students are Asian, 9% of students are Hispanic, 3% of students are Black, 2% of students are Two or more races, and 1% of students are American Indian.
What is the student:teacher ratio of Desert Mountain High School?
Desert Mountain High School has a student ration of 22:1, which is higher than the Arizona state average of 17:1.
What grades does Desert Mountain High School offer ?
Desert Mountain High School offers enrollment in grades 9-12
What school district is Desert Mountain High School part of?
Desert Mountain High School is part of Scottsdale Unified District (4240) School District.

School Calendar

View the Desert Mountain High School yearly calendar below. Note key dates such as:

Event
Date
Fall Break
October 09, 2023 (Monday)
Spring Break
March 11, 2024 (Monday)
Last Day Student Classes - Early Release (All Grades Pre-K-12)
May 23, 2024 (Thursday)

School Reviews

5   9/9/2017
Desert Mountain is a wonderful school filled with opportunists and so far I have been enjoying everything and nothing terrible has gone wrong
- Posted by Student/Alumni - Kinan Casem
2   11/17/2009
Desert Mountain is by far the worst school I have ever been to. The faculty is downright malicious, the teachers don't care at all, and I have never seen so many troubled kids. The students have no respect for themselves or each other. Everyday I would see people on drugs, or talking about sex, and the teachers didn't notice at all. The teachers definitely play favorites, and if your not one of the select few then school becomes miserable. The office staff and faculty members seem to want to find the bad in everybody, even falsely accusing the good-moralled students. In the month I spent at DM I learned nothing academic whatsoever, even in advanced classes. This school is absolutely a joke and I would not recommended it for anyone.
- Posted by Student/Alumni - since

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Quick Stats (2023-24)

  • Grades: 9-12
  • Enrollment: 1,894 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 22:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 25%
  • Graduation Rate
    : 96% (Top 5%)
  • Overall Testing Rank
    : Top 30%
  • Math Proficiency
    : 49% (Top 30%)
  • Reading Proficiency
    : 47% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AZ Dept. of Education

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