Desert Sky Middle School

Desert Sky is a great school. My son is in his 3rd year at DSMS and we have to say that we are very fortuned to be at DSMS. Desert Sky is an A+ school. From the beautiful campus and great activities like WEB and Steel Drums, to a wonderful band, to the excellent teachers and staff! we have no complaints. We sure are blessed as parents to be able to feel at ease that we send our son to an excellent school.
--Submitted by a parent

Vail is an excellent and amazing school district. They worked with us to find the right situation when we found that Desert Sky was a disastrous fit for our son. He struggled from the first moment he got to Desert Sky, and no one -- principal, teacher, or admin staff -- cared at all. When we spoke to the principal, it was painfully obvious that he had no interest in helping our son succeed. So we pulled him out of that school, and very sadly, he missed nothing about it. Not the students, not the teachers, not the staff. Desert Sky gets great ratings and I know some students love it, and it's the right school for probably most kids, but it is definitely not for every student. Our three kids have been to quite a few schools as Army Brats, and this is the only one where we had problems like this. I guess my son was a square peg in a very round hole here.
--Submitted by a parent

Yes, this school has high expectations, so that the people who graduate are more prepared for college and high school. If you have a problem with high expectations then don't complain about it on here. Go to a different school. The faculty are friendly and helpful. They have a lot of motivating rewards for good students, but they also have consequences for the miss-behaving student. Yes, you can get in trouble over little things, but for those who complain,1) don't do things you shouldn't 2) what part of HIGH EXPECTATIONS don't you understand.

I WAS a student at this wonderful school. The expectations for this school is tremendously high and with the positive environment, nearly all of the students met all the requirements. Teachers, students, and parents, get involved with this school to make it a positive environment. During an 'Award's Assembly' more than half the kids would have principle's award (strait A's on the previous report card). All the teacher's cared and shrived to help the student's to achieve the extra mile. Previously I had been a 7th grader at this EXCELLING school, I had moved to a preforming and and very disappointed. Don't leave this school
--Submitted by a parent

Please, be aware of this school, as well as some others in the Vail school district. I just graduated from a school as far away from any of the Vail schools as possible. I had a very rough time and was very traumatized from my experience. The old principal, vice principal, staff, and teachers were very rude and didn't understand much. I needed accomodations that were not provided for me, and was accused of being a liar. My parents ended up calling in a representative from the state to help me get some accomodations, and I ended up leaving this school at the end of the year. Please, use caution, investigate, and listen to what your children are telling you.
--Submitted by a student

I am currently an eighth grader at Desert Sky Middle School and i hate it. The teachers are WAY too strict and picky. You can get in trouble for the smallest things. Even at lunch you can't go walk up and talk to your friends or else you can get lunch detention or have to wipe tables. The teachers give you detention if you don't do the smallest things on your homework (like write in pencil instead of pen or use size 14 font instead of size 12). So this school is really unfair and if I were you i'd pick a different school to send my kid to.
--Submitted by a student

i think it is a wonderful school in a great area.
--Submitted by a student

This is an Awsome school with very good people in it and running it!
--Submitted by a student

I was a student at desert sky for 3 years. For the most part it was a very good school. I never once got PRIDE or a NO stamp and we were rewarded well. The school has its ups and downs, it was very very strict and they tolerated nothing. A lot of the things kids would get in trouble for seemed beyond stupid to me and everyone else i have ever talked to. Many eight graders were very happy to finally get out. But in all the school was good : the teachers were nice, and although most will deny it if asked the PRIDE program was a good idea...

Desert Sky Middle School is a great school. Stories of children receiving NO Stamps for small mistakes and unpreparedness are rumors for the most part. If extremes such as those are taken, they are not taken often, and are taken by teachers (it is not necessarily encouraged by the school). Desert Sky is an amazing school, which holds high standards for its students, but also rewards it students often as well. I have been a student at Desert Sky for three quarters and really enjoy it. Both the curriculum and extracurricular activities provided by the school are great, in addition to the staff (you rock Mr. Carney). Good job DSMS. :)
--Submitted by a student