Desert Sage Elementary School

9325 West Mossywood Street

School District

Joint No. 2
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

public

School Map for Joint School District No. 2

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 18, 2019

We have attended 4 different elementary schools in 5 years due to military service. I have been so happy with each and every one (even the one in Nevada which is such a low performing state academically). Our 7 months at Desert Sage have been an absolute nightmare. It is unreal. The front staff will answer no questions. Absolutely nothing is their problem. They will tell you to google it if you want info about after school activities. If your child is lost and confused about their bus and in the office asking where they should go? They won't direct them. They will call YOU and tell you they "don't communicate with the busses." Your child will be groped on the playground, punched in the face. Nobody will do anything. They won't acknowledge the ALP your child brings from their prior school until you get an educational advocate involved. They won't let you watch your child carol with the choir in the hallway because it is a security risk. Yet when you walk in, they won't look up or make you sign in unless you purposely get their attention. I have never felt compelled to leave a review for a school, but you should know what you are getting into if your child attends Desert Sage.
Submitted by other on March 12, 2018

Excellent. The staff works collaboratively to create an safe and challenging learning environment for all kids.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2017

This was our assigned school when I first moved my daughter and I to Boise. I met with the teacher before she began school, and explained the trauma my daughter had been through prior to the move. She seemed understanding, and I had high hopes. On her first day, she didn't know any of the rules and procedures the teacher had set up. When she failed to line up properly for recess, she was forced to sit at her desk with her head down, while the rest of the kids were allowed to laugh at her as they walked out. That day, and every day after, she was in tears when I picked her up. I spoke to other parents in the neighborhood, and they had all had bad experiences there, and all of them had moved their kids to one of the schools of choice, Spalding STEM Academy. I put my daughter on the waiting list for Spalding, and was offered a slot a few days later when another family with a 2nd grader moved. The only catch was I had to move my daughter to Spalding the next week. It also happened to be the day of our first parent/teacher conference. I took a lot of joy in telling the teacher my daughter would no longer be in her class, and in telling my daughter she would be with the friends she had made in the neighborhood the following Monday. Perhaps her teacher was just a bad apple, but if the school could allow such a person to teach 7 year-olds, I doubt anything else about the place could be good. My daughter has thrived at Spalding, and we have never looked back.
Submitted by parent on November 16, 2016

My 3rd graders teacher is very rude to the students she gets very upset and easily irrirated with the students.she makes the students feel very uncomfortable to the point they are scared to ask questions. Dont bother talking with the principal she skates around the parents concern.she always sticks up for the teachers and makes parent's feel worthless. Also there is a lady at the front desk who is very rude to the kids. I wittnessed her yelling at a couple of kids because they forgot their notes from the dr because they were ill she couldnt even wait for the parents to come in for they had to park their car. It really stinks that we cant choose what school we can put our children in.
Submitted by other on March 13, 2016

Great school and exceptional special education services. Great job! My daughter is on a IEP and she is thriving and improving awesome staff.
Submitted by parent on January 03, 2016

My child's kindergarten teacher and all of the duties are nice. There are 25 kids to one teacher in my child's class, so things do(understandably) get missed from time to time. The front office staff, however, are not very nice. Every time I've had a question or concern, they've been rude. Brushing me aside as quickly as possible. It makes me feel defensive and I try my best to avoid them. The school seems to be lacking in structure, communication, and accountability. The location is convenient and the building and grounds are nice. The principle is nice and seems driven to bring the school's ratings up.
Submitted by parent on March 20, 2015

Desert Sage is AWESOME! The entire staff, from the teachers to the office, are exceptional! It is obvious they truly care about my daughter and her education. LOVE this school.
Submitted by parent on March 20, 2015

DSE is a wonderful school. They have programs in place to meet the needs of all types of students. The staff works hard to be a team that puts the needs of the students first. I have three students at DSE and they have all made incredible gain and established a strong foundation in their core areas of study. I would happily send my children to DSE again!
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2015

This is amazing school with amazing staff! They are well-organized, supportive of students, parents and any questions I have had. I really appreciate the correspondence from the teachers and the principal. There are many support staff and an amazing intervention schedule to support my student's needs, The front office is always helpful and concerned for my student. I highly recommend Desert Sage for any student!
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2015

My children are thriving at Desert Sage Elementary. Their teachers are the best around. We have been here for 3 years now and I am very pleased with the entire staff. I have always felt welcome in the school and I feel that my children are in a safe environment.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2014

When my son first started attending this school (2011/2012), I didn't like it at all. The teachers seemed nervous of parents and the staff were stand-offish. This year - the 2013/2014 school year - seemed a lot better, but I can't tell if it was just that my son had a very good teacher. She made sure that her student's parents were kept in the loop... not just about what was happening in the class, but also what was happening in the school, too. This school has average-to-high student:teacher ratio. My son's second grade class had a 20:1 ratio. That ratio was higher in previous years. I feel that Desert Sage has a lot of great ideas (as far as special needs, support for multi-lingual families, and extra-education opportunities), they just need better execution within those ideas. Desert Sage is still rather young, as schools go (it opened at the beginning of the 2006 - 2007 school year), so I think there's still a lot of need for more growth and progress within its system.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2014

This school has a terrible special needs program as well as inconsiderate and rude teachers. When a parent has to request homework for their child and you are told that by the teacher that she is too busy then that is a problem. I would not recommend this school to anyone who has special needs children or typical children. The teacher student ratio is horrible and children are not getting the time required to obtain a good education. The communication from teachers to parents is very insufficient.