Desert Wind Middle School: Profile, Programs, and ADE Data

By James Sanson, REALTOR. Licensed Arizona REALTOR since August 2002. Maricopa specialist since 2004. 1,000+ closings. See about James Sanson and the team.

Published 2026-05-22. Last reviewed 2026-05-22. Every fact on this page cites a primary source.

Quick answer

Desert Wind Middle School is a grade 6 through 8 STEAM-focused middle school in the Maricopa Unified School District, led by Principal Aidan Balt. The school enrolled 893 students, according to the 2025 Arizona Department of Education report card, and earned a C letter grade for 2025 (66.68 percent). It offers a gifted program, honors classes, foreign language, a 20+1 blended-learning program, a full middle-school sports lineup, band, choir, orchestra, and theater. The school also carries an ADE Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) designation, explained below. Call 520-838-8037 if you are researching homes in the Desert Wind attendance area.

On this page

1. School at a glance
2. 2025 A-F letter grade
3. What the ATSI designation means
4. Enrollment and demographics
5. Programs, sports, and arts
6. Teacher qualifications
7. School finance and improvement funds
8. Feeder pattern and zoning
9. Location and contact

School at a glance

The verified fact table below is drawn from the official 2025 Arizona Department of Education report card for Desert Wind Middle School (azreportcards.azed.gov) and the school's own description.

Per the school's mission, Desert Wind Middle School provides classes in the STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering, and Math) and offers a "20+1" blended-learning program that combines teacher-led instruction with online learning. The mascot is the Tigers, per James Sanson (Team field verification). The ADE report card listed the address as 35565 W. Honeycutt Road; some directory references list a Honeycutt Avenue address, so confirm the exact location with MUSD before relying on it.

2025 A-F letter grade

Desert Wind Middle School received a C letter grade for 2025 per the Arizona Department of Education, earning a total of 66.68 percent under the K-8 accountability model (64.68 base points out of 100, plus 2 bonus points). Middle schools are scored on the same K-8 model used for elementary schools. The breakdown is shown below.

For reference, the ADE K-8 model cut scores are:

Notable in the 2025 breakdown: Desert Wind earned full points on both the EL Growth and Proficiency indicator (10 of 10) and the Acceleration Readiness indicator (10 of 10), with 20 percent of English learners achieving English language proficiency on the AZELLA assessment. The school earned 34.39 of 50 growth points and 10.29 of 30 proficiency points. Letter grades are published annually and can move year to year. For the current letter grade, verify directly at azreportcards.azed.gov.

What the ATSI designation means

The 2025 ADE report card identifies Desert Wind Middle School as an ATSI (Additional Targeted Support and Improvement) school under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This is a factual federal accountability label, and here is what it does and does not mean:

1. What triggers it: ATSI applies when at least one student subgroup at the school performs in the bottom 5 percent statewide. Desert Wind's designation was triggered by a Lowest Performing Subgroup (LPS), per the report card.
2. What it is not: ATSI is a subgroup-specific support designation, not an overall failing grade. The school's overall 2025 letter grade is a C, and it earned full points on growth-related and English-learner indicators.
3. How a school exits: Per ADE, exit generally requires at least two consecutive years of increased subgroup achievement and implementation of the school's state-required Integrated Action Plan. A Title I ATSI school that does not exist within the state-determined time frame is elevated to Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI-T) status.

The school received federal School Improvement Funds for this work, as detailed in the finance section below. For the current designation status, verify at azreportcards.azed.gov. Call 520-838-8037 if you would like help understanding how school accountability data fits into a Maricopa home decision.

Enrollment and demographics

Desert Wind Middle School enrolled 893 students, according to the 2025 Arizona Department of Education report card.

Desert Wind holds Title I status, which means it receives federal funds to support students from low-income households per the federal Title I program.

Programs, sports, and arts

Per the 2025 ADE report card, Desert Wind Middle School offers a STEAM-focused middle-school program with the following:

1. Academic: Gifted program, Honors classes (independent of IB, AP, or dual enrollment), Foreign Language, RTI math classes for 6th grade, and the 20+1 blended-learning program
2. Sports: Baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, soccer, softball, spirit/cheerleading, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling
3. Music and arts: Band, choir, orchestra, theater, and drama
4. Clubs: National Junior Honor Society, Spanish, robotics (Career and Technical Education), drama, choir, theater, band, and student council

Campus facilities per ADE include an art room, auditorium, bookstore, cafeteria with onsite food service, certified nurse, dedicated counselors, enhanced security, first aid/health center, gymnasium, indoor air quality control, library, science lab, transportation, and sports facilities including soccer, baseball, and softball fields, and a basketball court. Call 520-838-8037 for help researching schools as part of a Maricopa home search.

Teacher qualifications

Per the 2025 ADE report card, teacher qualification data for Desert Wind Middle School:

1. Appropriately certified teachers: 26 (76.47 percent)
2. Teaching out of field: 7 (20.59 percent)
3. Emergency credentials: 1 (2.94 percent)
4. Experienced (3 or more years in position): 35 (94.59 percent)
5. Inexperienced (less than 3 years): 2 (5.41 percent)

Per the 2025 data, Desert Wind reported a high experienced-staff rate (94.59 percent) alongside a higher out-of-field share (20.59 percent) than at some other MUSD campuses, which can occur at middle schools that staff specialized subject classes. ADE reports experience figures for teachers, principals, and school leaders, and certification figures for teachers.

School finance and improvement funds

Per the 2025 ADE report card, Desert Wind Middle School reported a total per-pupil expenditure of $10,325.03, broken down as follows:

The 2025 report card also notes that Desert Wind received $150,568.50 in School Improvement Funds tied to its ATSI designation (see the section above). Per ADE, School Improvement Funds are awarded through a competitive grant process under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to support student-achievement work. The reported strategies were "S2: Improving the effective use of assessment," "S3: Improving the effective use of instructional practices," and "S6: Improving the effective use of data." Funding levels and improvement-grant status are published by ADE and the Arizona School Financial Transparency Portal at schoolspending.az.gov and can change year to year.

Feeder pattern and zoning

Desert Wind Middle School is one of two traditional MUSD middle schools serving grades 6-8, alongside Maricopa Wells Middle School. The general continuation pattern is:

1. Elementary (PK-5/6): MUSD elementary schools feed into the middle schools by attendance area. See our Butterfield, Pima Butte, Saddleback, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa elementary profiles.
2. Middle school (6-8): Desert Wind Middle School or Maricopa Wells Middle School, depending on the specific address.
3. High school (9-12): MUSD operates two traditional high schools, Maricopa High School and Desert Sunrise High School. High school assignment depends on the specific address and the current boundary map.

Verify your specific address. MUSD's school board approved a K-8 attendance boundary adjustment in December 2025, effective the 2026-2027 school year, which may change which school serves specific addresses. While students are initially assigned a default neighborhood school, Arizona law also allows families to use MUSD open enrollment to apply to any other MUSD school, subject to grade-level and program capacity. To confirm the current school assignment for a specific address, use the MUSD School Finder at musd20.org or contact the district office at (520) 568-5100.

For the broader district, see our MUSD overview and Maricopa schools hub.

Location and contact

The 2025 ADE report card lists Desert Wind Middle School at 35565 W. Honeycutt Road, Maricopa, AZ 85138-2002, with a phone number of (520) 568-7110. Some directory references list a West Honeycutt Avenue address instead, so confirm the exact location and attendance boundary for a specific home with the MUSD School Finder before relying on it.

For families with middle-school-age children, proximity to an assigned school is one factor among many in a home purchase decision. We present the school's data and let families weigh it against their own priorities, in keeping with the Arizona Department of Real Estate and federal Fair Housing guidance. For the full Maricopa neighborhood directory, see our Maricopa neighborhoods directory.

Call 520-838-8037 to talk through how Desert Wind school zoning applies to a specific Maricopa address you are considering buying or selling. For school assignment, open enrollment, and boundary questions, you can also contact MUSD at (520) 568-5100 or visit musd20.org.

James Sanson | Real Broker LLC | Licensed in Arizona