Come experience the desert difference!

tours offered Every Tuesday and Thursday

Preschool-8th grade @ 9:00 am and 3:00 pm

9415 E Wrightstown Rd

High School @ 9:30 am and 3:30 pm

7525 E Speedway Blvd

Dr. Brian Modarelli
Head of Schools

Head of Schools Welcome

As parents, we all hold great hopes and dreams for our children. Furthermore, we all fully recognize how a great education can prepare our sons and daughters for each individual’s specific calling in life.

I still recall when our oldest daughter, Julia, was preparing to enter kindergarten. Tara and I knew exactly what we were looking for in a school – one shielded with safety and warmth, with an atmosphere of excitement and a culture of encouragement. We wanted classrooms filled with discovery and led by godly teachers. We desired a school where prayer was a normal school activity, where Scripture was paramount, and where uncommonly robust academic achievement was foundational.

By middle school, Tara and I wanted our children engaged in a school where students were encouraged to ask tough questions, and where those questions were answered though a lens of biblical Truth. We wanted opportunities in athletics and fine arts, augmenting world-class classroom learning.

Through high school, we longed for a school that would prepare our children for their calling – whether it was in the field of medicine, missions, or macroeconomics. We expected our teens to be offered tough challenges and real responsibilities. We expected classes to be rigorous and learning to be rewarding, leading each graduate toward acceptance at the college of their choice. We wanted a school that engages in meaningful service to the community and in genuine worship to God.

Such schools exist, although they are not common. If you are looking for a school like the one described above, Desert Christian School could very well be the best place for your family. Please peruse this website and contact us for a campus tour. We would love to introduce your family to the DCS community.

WHY DESERT CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS MATTER

Public schools have become increasingly about teaching to the test or telling a child what to think about the world, culture, and ideology. We believe students should be taught how to think, not what to think. This gives them the confidence and courage to face the world without fear because they are prepared to critically analyze what they are being told, and defend their beliefs.

Admissions Opportunities at a Glance

New Families

Welcome, new families! Please take time to schedule a private tour with our Admissions Team. We would love to meet you and tell you all about life as a Desert Christian Eagle!

Inquire and schedule a tour here.

We are accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year.

Please Note for the 2023/2024 school year:
For students with Specialized Education Services, IEP, BIP, 504, MET,etc. grades Preschool through 12th grade are currently at capacity and closed for the 2023/2024 school year. Any applications submitted for Specialized Education Service Students will be placed on a waiting list. However, the wait list does not guarantee a space will become available.

International (F-1 Visa) Students

Reenrollment Process

Preschool - 12th-grade families who intend to return to DCS:

A non-refundable Returning Student Registration Fee of $100.00 for the 1st student/ $50 for each additional student will be applied to your billing account on March 1st.
If your student is enrolled and receives services from the Exceptional Student Services program, you will need to review, sign, and return the Tuition Contract Addendum. Please turn in the signed tuition contract addendum to the Business Office c/o Leslie Hatch, DCS Bookkeeper/Financial Aid Coordinator.

Preschool - 12th-grade families who intend to LEAVE DCS:

You will need to complete the Intent-to-Leave Notification Form.
This form is accessible in the FACTS Family Portal under Resource Documents or by clicking the link above.
Families who intend to withdraw at the end of the current academic year MUST complete and submit this form by February 24th, OR the Returning Student Registration Fee will be charged to their account.
Completing the Intent-to-Leave Notification Form will initiate the Student Withdrawal Process.

Empowerment Scholarships (ESA)

Universal Quarter 1 Eligibility:

To receive Quarter 1 funding, you must do all three of the following:

Apply by 10/15. Click here to apply. As this deadline has already been extended, we strongly recommend that you apply prior to 10/15.
If applicable, resolve any application deficiencies within 30 days of the initial incomplete notice by ADE
Sign your contract within 30 days of receiving the link from ADE

For those applicants who meet the criteria specified above, Quarter 1 funding will be applied retroactively. Please note that retroactive Quarter 1 funding may take several months to complete because of the large number of applications.

Funding & Next Steps: Once a signed ESA contract is received by the Department, ESA staff will work with both the Treasurer’s Office and ClassWallet to open and fund the account, this process can take at least 3 weeks, however, due to the volume, it may take longer. Account holders will receive an email from ClassWallet when funds are available.

Other ESA Eligibility Categories: There is no retroactivity clause for any applicants other than Universal ESA applicants.

Link to frequently asked questions: Click Here!

Deadlines for other Quarter Funding:

(Date updated: 10/7/22)

The Mission of Desert Christian Schools is to pursue excellence in Christian education, foster Christ-centered relationships, and endeavor to meet the unique learning needs of every student.

Desert Christian Schools is an independent, inter-denominational Christian covenant school partnering with parents who desire to see their children raised "…in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4).

Desert Christian was founded in 1986 on Tucson's eastside as a high school and has since grown to include a second campus for Preschool to 8th grade. Today, DCS represents more than sixty area churches as Tucson's only independent, comprehensive Preschool - 12th-grade Christian school. DCS is governed by a parent-elected Board of Trustees, staffed by licensed, qualified faculty and is fully accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).