Sierra Sands Unified School District

113 W. Felspar Ave.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555-3520
(District boundaries shown in map)
5/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

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

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 8 public elementary schools serving 3,501 students in Sierra Sands Unified School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in California.
Public Elementary Schools in Sierra Sands Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 25% (versus the California public elementary school average of 35%), and reading proficiency score of 37% (versus the 45% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 52% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public elementary school average of 79% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
11 Schools
7,700 Schools
# Students
5,122 Students
3,822,920 Students
# Teachers
241 Teachers
174,006 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
21:1
21:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Sierra Sands Unified School District, which is ranked #1063 of all 1,925 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 81% has decreased from 90% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#1044 out of 1941 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
25%
33%
41%
47%
24%
29%
81%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.65
0.64
% American Indian
1%
1%
% Asian
3%
12%
% Hispanic
33%
55%
% Black
7%
5%
% White
49%
21%
% Hawaiian
1%
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $19,944 in this school district is less than the state median of $19,974. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,945 is less than the state median of $18,396. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$102 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$71 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$19,944
$19,974
Spending / Student
$13,945
$18,396

Best Sierra Sands Unified School District Public Elementary Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Gateway Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
501 South Gateway
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
(760) 499-1850
Grades: K-5
| 371 students
Rank: #22.
Las Flores Elementary School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 39%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
720 West Las Flores
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
(760) 499-1860
Grades: K-5
| 550 students
Rank: #33.
Richmond Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
348 Rowe St.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
(760) 499-1840
Grades: K-5
| 377 students
Rank: #44.
Faller Elementary School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 38%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1500 West Upjohn St.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
(760) 499-1690
Grades: K-5
| 504 students
Rank: #55.
Murray Middle School
(Math: 24% | Reading: 43%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
200 East Drummond Ave.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
(760) 499-1820
Grades: 6-8
| 686 students
Rank: #66.
Inyokern Elementary School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
6601 Locust St.
Inyokern, CA 93527
(760) 499-1683
Grades: K-5
| 153 students
Rank: #77.
James Monroe Middle School
(Math: 14% | Reading: 30%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
340 West Church St.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
(760) 499-1830
Grades: 6-8
| 542 students
Rank: #88.
Pierce Elementary School
(Math: 10-14% | Reading: 20-24%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
674 North Gold Canyon
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
(760) 499-1670
Grades: K-5
| 318 students

Recent Articles

What is Project-Based Learning?
What is Project-Based Learning?
Project-based learning has been highly touted by some educators as a viable option to traditional learning models. We’ll take a look at what project-based learning is and why it is getting so much attention today.
What is an Online High School
What is an Online High School
Find information about Online High Schools - what they are and how they work.
“Smart Snacks” Standards Coming to School Vending Machines Nationwide
“Smart Snacks” Standards Coming to School Vending Machines Nationwide
We explore new federal regulations that will ban junk food from public schools. This means no more sweets and soda in cafeteria lines, vending machines and snacks sold in other locations around the schools.

Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 11 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 5,122 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 21:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 51%
  • : 81% (Btm 50% in CA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 25% (Btm 50%)
  • : 41% (Btm 50%)
  • : 24% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

Quick Links