How the funding fits
Every Arizona K-12 student can open an Empowerment Scholarship Account. For the grades Desert Shadows Montessori serves, ADE's latest chart gives $4,718–$6,205; that chart is labeled 2025-26 (ADE estimate; the 2026-27 chart isn't posted yet), and the exact figure depends on grade and the funding formula for the school the child would otherwise attend. The account can pay tuition at a qualified private school that is set up as a ClassWallet vendor. The state keeps no list of schools that take ESA payments, so ask Desert Shadows Montessori directly.
Desert Shadows Montessori did not turn up on any STO's published school list when we checked (Oct 2026). Lists change, so ask the school which STOs its families use.
The school also has a preschool. The universal ESA starts in kindergarten, so ask about the school's preschool aid and look at DES child care assistance or Quality First scholarships.
Independent schools in the Phoenix area usually run their own need-based aid with a winter deadline, separate from any ESA or STO funding.
Check my funding for this school →
What the records show
The U.S. Department of Education's Private School Survey (2021-22) shows the school reporting 35 students, 1 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 35:1 student-teacher ratio and grades PK-K.
Questions for your visit
- Are you a ClassWallet vendor, and will you bill our ESA directly each quarter?
- What is tuition for my child's grade, and which fees can the ESA cover?
- Which STOs do your families use, and when do their applications open?
- Do you offer parishioner, church-member, sibling or need-based discounts?
After grade K: nearby schools that keep going
Desert Shadows Montessori ends at grade K. These schools serve grade 1 through 12 and are among the closest:
- Mesa Christian Academy: grades K-12, about 2 mi away · 4 STO lists
- Ignite Learning Academy: grades K-12, about 2 mi away · 2 STO lists
- Lumos Arts Academy: grades K-12, about 3 mi away · 2 STO lists
- Pieceful Solutions: grades K-12, about 3 mi away · 1 STO lists
Nearby schools with profiles
- Mesa Christian Academy: Christian School, grades K-12, 1.6 mi · 4 STO lists
- Ignite Learning Academy: Independent School, grades K-12, 1.9 mi · 2 STO lists
- Lumos Arts Academy: Independent School, grades K-12, 3.1 mi · 2 STO lists
- Pieceful Solutions: Independent School, grades K-12, 3.4 mi · 1 STO lists
- Empower Academy: Independent School, grades 3-12, 4.2 mi
- Pilgrim Lutheran School: Christian School, grades PK-8, 4.2 mi · 4 STO lists
We list 26 private schools in Mesa & Apache Junction, and 18 of them are on at least one STO school list.