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Carrillo Ranch Elementary · Indio

Carrillo Ranch Elementary: The score trails the state median. The trajectory doesn't.

Carrillo Ranch still trails on raw proficiency — and it's climbing faster than most schools anywhere near it — and that holds when you follow the same students across grades.

43-775 Madison Street, 92201 (opens in new tab)·Desert Sands Unified·Indio·Grades TK-5·459 students·89% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 238-9700·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3645
% Exceeded12%21%
% Met+34%43%
Growth+4.0-2.9
Absence21.7%17.9%
Suspension2.8%1.6%
Scope Score
36
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #3,889 statewide · #12 of 20 in Desert Sands Unified

Carrillo Ranch Elementary scores 36 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 32nd percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

📈 On the Rise — Ask how many years the improvement has held, not just the latest one — one strong cohort and a real turnaround can look identical in a single year of data.

Most rating sites would stop at “34% proficient” and call it done. Carrillo Ranch deserves a closer read. The school sits in Indio, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 22.7% of English learners met the ELA standard — versus 10.4% statewide.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has stayed near the 32nd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 34% meet the standard today, versus 44% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 354%27%43%26%38%
Grade 453%22%26%39%43%
Grade 540%25%30%36%42%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 358%25%38%30%23%
Grade 439%20%19%34%33%
Grade 523%6%7%15%27%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

9%
29%
62%
Grade 3 · 38% proficient
22%
22%
56%
Grade 4 · 44% proficient
17%
25%
58%
Grade 5 · 42% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 8.1pp across grades; the floor rises 4.7pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
12.3%
State 21.3%
9.0pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+4.0pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
34.3%
State 42.7%
8.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
21.7%
State 17.9%
3.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.8%
State 1.6%
1.2pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
16.4%
State 18.0%
1.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Carrillo Ranch Elementary in Indio, 39.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Carrillo Ranch Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 18.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 223 students tested.

All students at this school: 34% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 34%, district —, state 43%34%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 33%, district 28%, state 32%33% · −1 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 34%, district 29%, state 32%34% · −0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 36%, district 36%, state 44%36% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 33%, district 33%, state 42%33% · −1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 16%, district 5%, state 11%16% · −19 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 24%, district 8%, state 15%24% · −10 vs school

8 of 15 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 3.5pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.5pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 21.7%, district 29.9%, state 17.9%21.7% · +3.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.8%, district —, state 1.6%2.8% · +1.2pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly one and a half times the rate of Grades 4–6 students (30.5% vs 18.2%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–618.2%
TK/K30.5%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 24:123:1
Teaching staff24 teachers
Avg. experience13.0 years
Fully credentialed100%
First-year teachers13%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$63,775 – $132,451
Principal salary$167,765 – $193,176
Superintendent salary$327,601

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $23,274, CA average $14,815$23,274 · spent at this school
Federal share$594 per student

$594 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$22,375 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction57%
Instruction support13%
Student services10%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance11%
Other4%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$13,985 per pupil
2019$13,292 per pupil
2018$13,157 per pupil
2017$12,561 per pupil
2016$12,166 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic91.3%
District 76.8% · CA 56.1%
White3.3%
District 14.4% · CA 19.9%
Other2.2%
District 5.4% · CA 9.0%
Asian2.0%
District 2.2% · CA 10.2%
Black1.3%
District 1.3% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 89.1% (25pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$67K · CA $85K
Median home value$403K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+15% · CA 35%
ZIP population65,825
Median age38 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 28% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Carrillo Ranch Elementary a good elementary school?

Carrillo Ranch Elementary has a Scope Score of 36 out of 100, placing it in the 32nd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,889 statewide. 12.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 9.0 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Carrillo Ranch Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 34.3% of students at Carrillo Ranch Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.3% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 488 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Carrillo Ranch Elementary rank in California?

Carrillo Ranch Elementary ranks #3,889 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 32nd percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

Is Carrillo Ranch Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Carrillo Ranch Elementary increases by 4.0 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Carrillo Ranch Elementary?

21.7% of students at Carrillo Ranch Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 2.8%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Carrillo Ranch Elementary compare to other schools in Indio?

Carrillo Ranch Elementary scores 36/100 (32nd percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 459 students. Use the schools in Indio page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Carrillo Ranch Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Carrillo Ranch Elementary in Indio, 39.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Carrillo Ranch Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 18.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 223 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
12.3%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 41th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+4.0pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 46th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
34.3%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
21.7%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 44th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.8%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 40th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
16.4%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3809%29%26%36%38%−6
Grade 47922%22%23%34%43%−2
Grade 58317%25%25%33%42%−6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3822%21%28%49%23%−23
Grade 48114%20%25%42%33%−8
Grade 58311%16%27%47%27%−9
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11854%25%59%13%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged22339.5%+4+1
Hispanic/Latino22040.9%+5+2
English Learners4422.7%+17+12
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Carrillo Ranch Elementary ←3612.3%34.3%+4.02.8%
Amelia Earhart Elementary School of International1.6 mi4216.2%40.6%−4.51.0%
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary2 mi4015.6%42.0%−15.92.2%
Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Jr. Academy2.1 mi3713.0%31.5%−1.40.8%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193428#395419.3%44.4%11.4%1.3%-24.4pp
2022208#52705.6%20.8%48.0%2.2%-10.8pp
2023206#54027.9%27.0%33.4%1.0%-21.7pp
20243531#39349.6%30.1%24.4%4.0%-2.4pp
20253632#388912.3%34.3%21.7%2.8%+4.0pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female12.8%17.3%+4.5pp
Male9.7%27.0%+17.3pp
Black/African American9.1%
Hispanic/Latino11.9%23.0%+11.1pp
Students with Disabilities15.6%33.3%+17.7pp
English Learners7.7%20.7%+13.0pp
Homeless30.0%23.1%-6.9pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged12.1%22.0%+9.9pp
All Students11.4%21.9%+10.5pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction