Desert Pines High School

About Desert Pines

Desert Pines is a CCSD comprehensive high school serving grades 9–12. It also hosts Desert Pines Magnet Academy, which CCSD groups under Career and Technical Education and Leadership & Communications.

The magnet academy is a program within the larger school. It is not a full Career and Technical Academy where every student is selected by lottery.

Magnet themes have included culinary arts, design and visual communications, marketing, media production, and pre-medical or health sciences. Program lists and selection rules can change, so confirm current options before applying.

How families get in

Students attend through a zoned comprehensive seat or a district magnet seat. Zoned students may also apply to the magnet academy on this campus.

• For a zoned seat, confirm the home address through CCSD zoning and complete standard district enrollment.
• For a magnet seat, apply through the CCSD Magnet and School Choice process.
• Most magnet tracks use an interest-based lottery. STEM or pre-medical-style tracks may require criteria-based entry into the lottery when designated.
• Check which tracks accept the student's grade and whether each track is interest-based or criteria-based.
• Use the official Magnet and School Choice site for application windows rather than social media dates.

Magnet transportation follows district transportation-zone rules and is not guaranteed for every address. Program lists, selection rules and transportation arrangements can change.

Who it tends to fit

Visit the campus and confirm current class conditions, pathway availability and transportation before deciding.

Students

Desert Pines is a large comprehensive high school with total enrollment reported at about 3,000 students in the guide's NCES 2024–25 snapshot.

Gender: Not provided Confirm current student demographics through the Nevada Report Card or school office.

• Total enrollment is about 3,000 students.
• Enrollment and demographic counts can shift from year to year.

Academics

The campus combines comprehensive high-school academics with magnet and career-focused pathways. Current offerings should be confirmed with the school and official magnet program pages.

• Magnet themes have included culinary arts.
• Design, marketing, graphic design, photography and visual communications may be offered.
• Media pathways have included radio and video production when available.
• Pre-medical or health sciences may operate as a criteria-based STEM track when designated.
• Campus-wide offerings typically include core academics, performing arts, athletics, clubs and additional career and technical education.
• Marine Corps JROTC may be offered.
• CSN articulated offerings have included business management, hospitality and tourism, multimedia, office management, teaching and training, and theatre production. Confirm current availability with counseling.

Awards and recognition

Location and daily life

The campus is on Harris Avenue in East Las Vegas.

Expect typical urban or suburban high-school traffic during arrival and dismissal.

Magnet families outside the neighborhood may use hub-style district transportation. Confirm eligibility and plan commute time before committing.

Confirm current before-school and after-school options with the school.

Compare before you commit

• Chaparral High SchoolA nearby east-valley comprehensive school to compare if you want a zoned-only option.
• Eldorado High SchoolA nearby comprehensive school that also hosts magnet pathways. Confirm its current themes.
• Canyon Springs Leadership and LawA magnet-within-school option with law, leadership and cybersecurity themes.
• East CTA and Las Vegas AcademyFull magnet campuses to compare if your student wants a specialized schedule rather than a magnet within a comprehensive school.

Questions to ask on a tour

1. 1.How do zoned and magnet student schedules differ from day to day?
2. 2.Which magnet tracks are open for my student's grade this year?
3. 3.Which tracks are interest-based and which are criteria-based?
4. 4.What support is available for students who struggle in a criteria-based pre-medical sequence?
5. 5.How crowded are core classes?
6. 6.How are elective and athletics seats allocated?
7. 7.What transportation is available from our address for magnet and zoned students?

What to do next

1. 1.Confirm the home address through the CCSD zoning site.
2. 2.Review current magnet program descriptions on the CCSD Magnet site and the school website.
3. 3.Check the Nevada Report Card for official school data.
4. 4.Apply for a magnet seat through the official School Choice process when the district opens the application window.
5. 5.If the address is zoned for Desert Pines, complete standard CCSD enrollment for a comprehensive-school seat.