Desert Sands Unified School District

47-950 Dune Palms Rd.
La Quinta, CA 92253-4000
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Desert Sands Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2024 school year, there are 2 public charter schools serving 2,039 students in Desert Sands Unified School District. This district's average charter testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public charter schools in California.
Public Charter Schools in Desert Sands Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 52% (versus the California public charter school average of 31%), and reading proficiency score of 66% (versus the 48% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 58% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public charter school average of 75% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
34 Schools
1,301 Schools
# Students
26,695 Students
679,407 Students
# Teachers
1,103 Teachers
30,563 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
24:1
24:1

District Rank

Desert Sands Unified School District, which is ranked #424 of all 1,167 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2020-2021 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 93% has increased from 91% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#451 out of 1200 school districts
(Top 50%)
This chart display the overall district rank of Desert Sands Unified  School District, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
31%
34%
This chart display the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Desert Sands Unified  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
56%
49%
This chart display the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Desert Sands Unified  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
93%
84%
This chart display public school graduation rate of Desert Sands Unified  School District and public school graduation rate of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.41
0.65
# American Indian Students
53 Students
3,256 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
753 Students
45,817 Students
% Asian Students
3%
7%
# Hispanic Students
20,001 Students
359,866 Students
% Hispanic Students
75%
53%
# Black Students
399 Students
48,710 Students
% Black Students
2%
7%
# White Students
4,355 Students
172,880 Students
% White Students
16%
25%
# Hawaiian Students
17 Students
2,209 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
1,117 Students
44,599 Students
% of Two or more races Students
4%
7%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
-
-
# Students in K Grade:
2,037
52,493
# Students in 1st Grade:
1,794
45,407
# Students in 2nd Grade:
1,833
46,411
# Students in 3rd Grade:
1,816
46,028
# Students in 4th Grade:
1,857
45,426
# Students in 5th Grade:
1,974
45,576
# Students in 6th Grade:
1,911
53,319
# Students in 7th Grade:
2,003
55,961
# Students in 8th Grade:
2,133
56,898
# Students in 9th Grade:
2,342
62,044
# Students in 10th Grade:
2,350
59,778
# Students in 11th Grade:
2,305
55,013
# Students in 12th Grade:
2,340
55,053
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $17,913 in this school district is less than the state median of $19,806. The school district revenue/student has grown by 14% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,204 is less than the state median of $18,241. The school district spending/student has grown by 5% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$478 MM
$116,387 MM
This chart display total revenue of Desert Sands Unified  School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$433 MM
$107,188 MM
This chart display total spending of Desert Sands Unified  School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$17,913
$19,806
This chart display average revenue per public school student in Desert Sands Unified  School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$16,204
$18,241
This chart display average spending per public school student in Desert Sands Unified  School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Desert Sands Unified School District Public Charter Schools (2024)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
George Washington Charter
Charter School
(Math: 52% | Reading: 66%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
45-768 Portola Ave.
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 862-4350
Grades: K-5
| 741 students
Rank: #22.
Palm Desert Charter Middle School
Charter School
(Math: 46% | Reading: 65% )
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
74-200 Rutledge Way
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 862-4320
Grades: 6-8
| 1,298 students

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • District size: 34 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 26,695 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 24:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 84%
  • : 93% (Top 30% in CA)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 31% (Top 50%)
  • : 56% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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