One of the most important choices parents will make is selecting the school their child or children will attend. With open enrollment available in many top rated districts the decision can be difficult to make. Many parents will send their children to the local school, some will purchase a home in a specific district, and others will drive 30 minutes for a school that fits their child’s needs. Although, many parents have different requirements when searching for a school, most can agree on choosing one with a proven record of academic achievement.
If academic achievement is on the top of your list then the choices just narrowed in McDowell Mountain Ranch Real Estate because Desert Canyon Elementary School, already an excelling school, has recently received top rated “A” status (the highest ranking available in the state). Excelling status is based on the pass rate of the AIMS exam, but the “A” rating status is based on both pass rate of the AIMS and improvement in scores on the test. This “A” rated status is not easy to achieve because it requires a school to push their mid and high level students harder and give extra attention to those with more specialized academic needs. Top rated “A” status basically identifies a school as having the best and brightest students.
Desert Canyon Elementary is located within the Scottsdale Unified School District, situated in the hills with McDowell Mountain Ranch homes. Home to the mountain lion cubs this K-5 offers free all-day kindergarten, a gifted program, special needs education, and numerous after- school enrichment programs including chess, tennis, golf, soccer, and many more. The Desert Canyon campus also provides its 700 students with band, choir, art, and P.E. along with an on-site nurse, psychologist, and speech therapist.
Lead by Principal Chuck Rantala the school mission is focused on cultivating each child’s academic and creative ability while providing them with a safe and caring environment. Desert Canyon Elementary students matriculate to Desert Canyon Middle School in the McDowell Mountain Ranch Real Estate Community.
