B
Desert Sands Unified School District
Public school districtGrades K–12Regional · 5 towns
Serves Indio, Palm Desert, Coachella, La Quinta and Indian Wells, and parts of Rancho Mirage.
Students
25,613
Schools
35
Spent per student
$19,599
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
24:1
Free or reduced lunch
77%
Debt
$379.3M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Desert Sands Unified School District
- School Grade B: better than 63% of California districts
- Reading / language arts 8 pts above the state
- Spends 8% less per student than the CA average
- 24 students per teacher
- Enrollment down 5.1% since 2020
- Debt of $379.3M, about $14,809 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Indio.
K–511 elementary schoolsThis district
6–84 middle schoolsThis district
9–122 high schoolsThis district
Test scores vs. CA
2020–21Math proficiency31%
State average 33.4%
Reading / language arts56%
State average 48.5%
Graduation rate (4-year)91%
State average 87.6%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$19,599 per student · 8% below CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 58%Support & administration 38%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 40%State 49%Federal 10%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
26,980’20
26,695’21
26,379’22
25,897’23
25,613’24
Down 5.1% since 2020.
Students
Hispanic 76%White 15%Two or more races 4%Asian 3%Black 1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%
Schools in the district
35 public schools.
Ronald Reagan Elementary
808 students23:1
Andrew Jackson Elementary
750 students23:1
Amelia Earhart Elementary School of International Studies
748 students25:1
George Washington Charter
A746 students26:1
Harry S. Truman Elementary
635 students25:1
Benjamin Franklin Elementary
627 students22:1
Abraham Lincoln Elementary
607 students25:1
Gerald R. Ford Elementary
C598 students24:1
Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Jr. Academy
D−592 students23:1
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary
D−568 students22:1
James Monroe Elementary
D−562 students26:1
Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary
560 students21:1
Martin Van Buren Elementary
533 students24:1
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary
490 students22:1
James Earl Carter Elementary
D−487 students22:1
Carrillo Ranch Elementary
459 students22:1
James Madison Elementary
D−403 students24:1
John F. Kennedy Elementary
D−390 students22:1
Herbert Hoover Elementary
326 students24:1
Palm Desert Charter Middle
1,298 students28:1
John Glenn Middle School of International Studies
C−1,099 students24:1
Desert Ridge Academy
A−962 students24:1
Indio Middle
768 students22:1
La Quinta Middle
C709 students23:1
Thomas Jefferson Middle
D−591 students27:1
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle
C−439 students21:1
La Quinta High
A−2,425 students25:1
Palm Desert High
A−2,079 students26:1
Indio High
B−1,962 students24:1
Shadow Hills High
B+1,650 students23:1
Summit High (Continuation)
C−195 students17:1
Amistad High (Continuation)
D192 students13:1
Desert Sands A.T.L.A.S.
69 students17:1
Horizon
A−286 students22:1
John Adams Early Childhood Learning Center
0 students
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.