B−
Palm Springs Unified School District
Public school districtGrades K–12Regional · 4 towns
Serves Cathedral City, Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Rancho Mirage, and parts of Palm Desert.
Students
20,007
Schools
28
Spent per student
$22,793
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
20:1
Free or reduced lunch
94%
Debt
$472.2M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Palm Springs Unified School District
- School Grade B−: better than 45% of California districts
- Math proficiency 12 pts below the state
- Reading / language arts 7 pts below the state
- Spends 7% more per student than the CA average
- 20 students per teacher
- Enrollment down 7.8% since 2020
- Debt of $472.2M, about $23,603 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Indio.
K–511 elementary schoolsDesert Sands Unified School District
6–84 middle schoolsDesert Sands Unified School District
9–122 high schoolsDesert Sands Unified School District
Test scores vs. CA
2020–21Math proficiency21%
State average 33.4%
Reading / language arts42%
State average 48.5%
Graduation rate (4-year)91%
State average 87.6%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$22,793 per student · 7% above CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 61%Support & administration 35%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 38%State 50%Federal 12%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
21,698’20
21,301’21
21,029’22
20,414’23
20,007’24
Down 7.8% since 2020.
Students
Hispanic 82%White 8%Black 4%Two or more races 3%Asian 3%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%
Schools in the district
28 public schools.
Cielo Vista Charter
824 students20:1
Bella Vista Elementary
779 students21:1
Two Bunch Palms Elementary
717 students20:1
Sunny Sands Elementary
692 students21:1
Cabot Yerxa Elementary
664 students20:1
Agua Caliente Elementary
645 students20:1
Rio Vista Elementary
637 students21:1
Cathedral City Elementary
C606 students19:1
Bubbling Wells Elementary
581 students18:1
Landau Elementary
579 students20:1
Della S. Lindley Elementary
552 students19:1
Katherine Finchy Elementary
464 students20:1
Vista del Monte Elementary
435 students19:1
Cahuilla Elementary
399 students19:1
Julius Corsini Elementary
397 students19:1
Rancho Mirage Elementary
349 students21:1
James Workman Middle
1,020 students22:1
Nellie N. Coffman Middle
914 students20:1
Desert Springs Middle
D−749 students20:1
Painted Hills Middle
722 students22:1
Raymond Cree Middle
721 students20:1
Desert Hot Springs High
B1,687 students21:1
Palm Springs High
B+1,497 students21:1
Rancho Mirage High
B−1,401 students20:1
Cathedral City High
B+1,334 students20:1
Mt. San Jacinto High
C−325 students13:1
Desert Learning Academy
B317 students16:1
Virtual Pre
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.