Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 6 schools in district

Academy of Math and Science Desert Sky

5757 W MCDOWELL RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85035Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc. (90878) →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades KG–08Charter
1,294
Students
Total enrolled
$10,426
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 27% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 1,294 students in grades KG–08 in PHOENIX, Arizona.
27% below average funding
District spends $10,426 per pupil, 27% less than the national average of $14,347.
63% on free or reduced lunch
This indicates a mixed economic student body (national avg 52%). Eligibility is an indicator of household income.
About This School

Academy of Math and Science Desert Sky is a very large elementary in PHOENIX, Arizona, serving grades KG–08 with 1,294 students. The district invests $10,426 per student — 27% below the national average of $14,347. About 63% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Academy of Math and Science Desert Sky

1,294
Total Students
—
Student:Teacher
63%
Free Lunch
Grade Range
Highlighted grades (KG–08) are served by this school
Gender Distribution671 male · 623 female
52%
48%
Male 52%Female 48%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility63%
National avg 52% · 814 students
Student Composition
91%
Asian1%
White3%
Hispanic / Latino91%
Black5%
Native American1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 040089103581

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$10,426Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$10,426
State avg
$16,564
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$4,587
Student Support$1,981
Administration$1,251
Operations$1,564
Other$1,043
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $10,426 spent per student, an estimated $4,619 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
72%
State government
71.8%
Local (property tax)
1.1%
Federal programs
27.1%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Charter school — may offer specialized curriculum or alternative teaching approaches
Worth Considering
  • Below-average funding — $10,426/student, 27% less than the national average
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesKG – 08
Location—
CountyMaricopa County
CharterYes
VirtualNo
DistrictAcademy of Mathematics and Science South Inc. (90878) →
Phone: (520)888-1732
NCES ID: 040089103581
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in PHOENIX seeking a charter elementary 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 Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc. (90878)
Elem
Academy of Math and Science Glendale
1,249 students · KG–08
● 33 opp79% FRL
Elem
Academy of Math and Science Avondale
990 students · KG–08
● 35 opp66% FRL
Elem
Academy of Math and Science South Mountain
923 students · KG–08
● 35 opp30% FRL
Elem
Academy of Math and Science Peoria Advanced
791 students · KG–08
● 40 opp51% FRL
Elem
Academy of Mathematics and Science South
571 students · KG–08
● 33 opp79% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
5757 W MCDOWELL RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85035
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.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
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.