Desert Hills Middle

Summary:

Desert Hills Middle is a public secondary school located in Saint George, Utah, serving grades 8-9 with a total enrollment of 895 students. The school is part of the Washington District, which is ranked 35 out of 98 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Desert Hills Middle consistently outperforms the Washington District and the state of Utah in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 62% of 8th-grade students at Desert Hills Middle were proficient or better in RISE/English Language Arts, compared to 51.3% for the Washington District and 42.6% for the state. Additionally, Desert Hills Middle has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (16.76%) compared to nearby schools like Pine View Middle (39.15%) and Dixie Middle (38.88%), indicating that it serves a more affluent student population.

Despite having lower spending per student ($7,403) compared to some nearby schools, such as Pine View Middle ($7,794) and Crimson Cliffs Middle ($9,766), Desert Hills Middle is able to achieve higher academic performance. This could indicate that the school is efficiently utilizing its resources to support student learning.

Detail:

Public, Alternative 8-9

936 E Desert Hills Drive
Saint George, UT 84790

(435) 628-0001

District: Washington District

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,403

Student/teacher ratio: 23.8

Number of students: 875

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.4%

Hispanic:

7.8%

Two or more races:

2.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 17.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Desert Hills Middle ranks better than 95.7% of middle schools in Utah. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.76. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (85.4%), Hispanic (7.8%), two or more races (2.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 17.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Hills Middle is 23.8, which is the 4^th best among 3 alternative schools in the Washington District. (See more...)

Compare Desert Hills Middle employs 36.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Hills Middle is $7,403. 6 alternative schools in the Washington District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Desert Hills Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Hills Middle 9^th of 210 Utah public middle schools. (See Desert Hills Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Washington District:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington District 35^th of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Desert Hills Middle

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Rank History for all students at Desert Hills Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2008	72.55	32^nd	200	84.0%
2009	54.95	105^th	205	48.8%
2012	76.38	22^nd	238	90.8%
2013	81.59	6^th	243	97.5%
2014	78.30	29^th	185	84.3%
2015	79.41	34^th	210	83.8%
2016	83.05	15^th	209	92.8%
2017	83.17	17^th	206	91.7%
2019	78.59	30^th	222	86.5%
2021	90.12	8^th	213	96.2%
2022	88.67	13^th	209	93.8%
2023	90.92	7^th	216	96.8%
2024	89.76	9^th	210	95.7%

See the entire list of Utah Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Hills Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	88.78	8^th	133	94.0%
2023	90.08	8^th	138	94.2%
2024	95.50	6^th	141	95.7%

See the entire list of Best Utah Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Hills Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	84.43	18^th	191	90.6%
2023	88.68	7^th	191	96.3%
2024	86.82	8^th	183	95.6%

See the entire list of Best Utah Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Utah State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Utah State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, November 12, 2011

Poor curriculum, despite the fact that Utah's public schools are supposed to be transitioning to Core-which if that's true, they should take a few pointers from the private and charter schools as to what kind of materials and lesson plans to use, - and it seems that though what is taught is supposed to be changing, how it's taught is the same: the tenured staff acts like it's an imposition to ask about what is happening in the class room. It is TERRIBLE- As I type this it's mid November, and not one book had been assigned to read (Language Arts) until a week ago; that is NOT Core standard. Moreover, the list from which the kids can choose has 70 titles, and less than 10 "classics" on it. The rest are pulp teen fiction or drivel. We had our kids in both private and charter schools, and so didn't expect DHMS to be absolutely equal. But the quality of what they are learning (and I'm being generous with that term) is so sub-par as to be offensive. One of my kids is in 8th grade, and they are COLORING a graph for math class. There are some dedicated and great teachers- Winfree is one, who teaches history, Bruin is another for Science, Sparks does shop and keyboarding...but the math and English has been frustrating...for kids who want to go to college, DHMS isn't prep at all, I can only shudder to think that DHHS is more of the same. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Desert Hills Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2008	769	1	18	39	7	n/a	n/a	6	840
2009	557	1	12	25	3	n/a	n/a	6	604
2010	595	5	20	29	4	n/a	n/a	31	684
2011	662	6	6	31	3	14	0	0	722
2012	719	7	4	33	6	12	1	0	782
2013	755	5	7	38	6	14	4	0	829
2014	798	6	9	38	8	16	6	0	881
2015	802	6	9	39	4	22	7	0	889
2016	850	2	10	41	2	23	13	0	941
2017	939	5	10	49	6	24	18	0	1051
2018	988	6	8	50	6	24	15	0	1097
2019	590	5	11	29	5	18	10	0	668
2020	612	9	6	43	3	10	13	0	696
2021	626	9	4	43	3	12	15	0	712
2022	747	9	8	72	5	16	20	0	877
2023	761	9	16	69	4	13	23	0	895
2024	747	6	11	68	4	14	25	0	875

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Desert Hills Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	840	35.3	23.8	25.5
2009	604	8.2	20.7	24.1
2010	684	28.8	23.6	32.6
2011	722	30.3	23.8	30.7
2012	782	33.5	23.3	37.9
2013	829	34.3	24.1	50.5
2014	881	33.8	26.0	26.9
2015	889	n/a	n/a	23.6
2016	941	n/a	n/a	19.4
2017	1051	33.8	31.0	25.2
2018	1097	n/a	n/a	19.7
2019	668	26.8	24.9	17.8
2020	696	27.6	25.2	18.1
2021	712	n/a	n/a	16.6
2022	877	36.1	24.2	19
2023	895	38.0	23.5	16.8
2024	875	36.7	23.8	17.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Desert Hills Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	840	35.3	23.8	25.5
2009	604	8.2	20.7	24.1
2010	684	28.8	23.6	32.6
2011	722	30.3	23.8	30.7
2012	782	33.5	23.3	37.9
2013	829	34.3	24.1	50.5
2014	881	33.8	26.0	26.9
2015	889	n/a	n/a	23.6
2016	941	n/a	n/a	19.4
2017	1051	33.8	31.0	25.2
2018	1097	n/a	n/a	19.7
2019	668	26.8	24.9	17.8
2020	696	27.6	25.2	18.1
2021	712	n/a	n/a	16.6
2022	877	36.1	24.2	19
2023	895	38.0	23.5	16.8
2024	875	36.7	23.8	17.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Desert Hills Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$556 (7.5%)	$6,847 (92.5%)	$7,403

Data source: Utah Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Hills Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 30^th of 222 Middle schools	Ranks 7^th of 216 Middle schools	10.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade English Language Arts (Desert Hills Middle)	52.9	59.9	7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Washington District)	48.1	49.4	1.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	43.3	41.8	1.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Desert Hills Middle)	54.5	60.6	6.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Washington District)	50.8	48.7	2.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	42.7	38.2	4.5%
8th Grade Science (Desert Hills Middle)	59.4	67.5	8.1%
8th Grade Science (Washington District)	54.3	56.1	1.8%
8th Grade Science (Utah)	49.2	48.5	0.7%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Desert Hills Middle)	54.1	63	8.9%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Washington District)	51	56.3	5.3%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	48.2	44	4.2%
9th Grade Mathematics (Desert Hills Middle)	53.3	51.2	2.1%
9th Grade Mathematics (Washington District)	46.4	46.5	0.1%
9th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	43.6	32.8	10.8%
9th Grade Science (Desert Hills Middle)	43.1	59.8	16.7%
9th Grade Science (Washington District)	38.5	53.4	14.9%
9th Grade Science (Utah)	36.2	38.1	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	668	895	34%
African American	5	9	80%
American Indian	5	4	20%
Asian	11	16	45.5%
Hispanic	29	69	137.9%
Pacific Islander	18	13	27.8%
White	590	761	29%
Two or More Races	10	23	130%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	17.8%	16.8%	1.1%

Schools Near Desert Hills Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts (2024)		Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics (2024)		Utah Aspire Plus Science (2024)		RISE English Language Arts (2024)						RISE Mathematics (2024)						RISE Science (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 10th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 10th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 10th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	RISE English Language Arts 4th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 5th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 6th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 7th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 8th Grade	RISE Mathematics 3rd Grade	RISE Mathematics 4th Grade	RISE Mathematics 5th Grade	RISE Mathematics 6th Grade	RISE Mathematics 7th Grade	RISE Mathematics 8th Grade	RISE Science 4th Grade	RISE Science 5th Grade	RISE Science 6th Grade	RISE Science 7th Grade	RISE Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Desert Hills Middle	Public, Alternative	8-9	936 E Desert Hills Drive	Saint George	84790	Washington County	Washington District	No	No	No	No	(435) 628-0001	875	37	23.8	17.6%	747 (85.4%)	6 (0.7%)	68 (7.8%)	11 (1.3%)	4 (0.5%)	14 (1.6%)	25 (2.9%)								(n/a)	55.4		46.7		63.0							62.0						55.2					68.4	$7,403	$556	$6,847
Dixie Middle	Public, Alternative	8-9	825 S 100 E	St George	84770	Washington County	Washington District	No	No	No	No	(435) 628-0441	847	34	24.7	38.3%	571 (67.4%)	8 (0.9%)	208 (24.6%)	4 (0.5%)	5 (0.6%)	14 (1.7%)	37 (4.4%)								(n/a)	43.8		28.8		43.9							46.2						48.0					49.6	$7,717	$483	$7,234
Career Technical High School	Public, Alternative	K-12	1001 White Dome Drive	Saint George	84790	Washington County	Washington District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(435) 673-3553	506	28	17.8	30.2%	401 (79.2%)	5 (1.0%)	79 (15.6%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.4%)								(n/a)	58.8	68.8	50.9	37.2	64.2	63.5
Freedom Preparatory Academy Washington	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	5690 S Carnelian Pkwy	Saint George	84790	Washington County	Freedom Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(801) 437-3100	290	16	18.4	22.1%	234 (80.7%)	2 (0.7%)	35 (12.1%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.8%)								(n/a)							59.1	46.7					52.4	51.1					53.5
Crimson Cliffs Middle	Public, Alternative	8-9	4280 S Crimson Cliffs Way	Washington	84790	Washington County	Washington District	No	No	No	No	(435) 634-7010	924	38	24.3	11.7%	824 (89.2%)	9 (1.0%)	58 (6.3%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	6 (0.6%)	22 (2.4%)								(n/a)	66.3		75.4		77.6							70.0						85.0					76.6	$9,766	$541	$9,224
Post High School Self-Cont	Public, Alternative	K-12	121 W Tabernacle	St George	84770	Washington County	Washington District	No	No	No	No	(435) 673-3553	93	4	23.2	38.7%	73 (78.5%)	1 (1.1%)	16 (17.2%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																								$2,262	$346	$1,916
Out of State School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	121 W Tabernacle	St George	84770	Washington County	Washington District	No	No	No	No	(435) 673-3553	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pine View Middle	Public, Alternative	8-9	2145 E 130 N	St George	84790	Washington County	Washington District	No	No	No	No	(435) 628-7915	737	32	22.6	44.0%	480 (65.1%)	7 (0.9%)	185 (25.1%)	5 (0.7%)	18 (2.4%)	19 (2.6%)	23 (3.1%)								(n/a)	38.3		32.0		43.9							48.4						38.1					49.2	$7,794	$579	$7,215
Snow Canyon Middle	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-9	1215 N Lava Flow Dr	St George	84770	Washington County	Washington District	No	No	No	No	(435) 674-6474	808	34	23.8	40.7%	519 (64.2%)	8 (1.0%)	225 (27.8%)	3 (0.4%)	18 (2.2%)	8 (1.0%)	27 (3.3%)								(n/a)	43.5		38.5		57.1							36.6						30.9					46.7	$7,771	$570	$7,201
Vista School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-9	585 E Center Street	Ivins	84738	Washington County	Vista School	Yes	No	No	No	(435) 673-4110	1,114	57	19.5	36.2%	848 (76.1%)	7 (0.6%)	182 (16.3%)	4 (0.4%)	13 (1.2%)	15 (1.3%)	45 (4.0%)								(n/a)	60.0		37.1		52.3		53.2	37.8	66.6	48.3	50.0	52.6	36.1	32.1	33.7	10.8	31.3	43.0	45.3	57.2	56.3	51.2	63.0	$5,989	$475	$5,514

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Hills Middle

What district is Desert Hills Middle in?

Washington District

What is the racial makeup of Desert Hills Middle?

Students at Desert Hills Middle are 85% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Desert Hills Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 875 students attended Desert Hills Middle.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Utah State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.