School Profile · La Quinta
La Quinta High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
La Quinta posts 47% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
79-255 Blackhawk Way, 92253 (opens in new tab)·Desert Sands Unified·La Quinta·Grades 9-12·2,425 students·74% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 772-4150·Website
Scope Score
47
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #941 statewide · #2 of 7 in Desert Sands Unified
La Quinta High scores 47 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 56th percentile of 2,160 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “47% proficient” and call it done. La Quinta deserves a closer read. The school sits in La Quinta, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
La Quinta's low-income kids hit 59.9% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
47%
State 36%
Graduate
97%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
7%
State 35%
Of 100 students here: 47 are proficient by 11th grade → 97 graduate → 7 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
59.9%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
La Quinta's most underrated number
59.9% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.
La Quinta low-income: 59.9%State low-income: 38.2%
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
97.1%
State 87.6%
9.5pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
19.1%
State 15.8%
3.2pp above state avg
College readiness
6.6%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
46.8%
State 35.7%
11.1pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
27.5%
State 30.2%
2.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.0%
State 3.6%
0.6pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
29.6%
State 18.0%
11.6pp above state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
La Quinta High
47/100
This school
Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.
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.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic76.7%
White15.9%
Asian2.2%
Black1.2%
Other4.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 74.4% (11pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
2,425
975 above CA avg (~1,450)
Student-Teacher Ratio
25:1
4 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$20,613
District avg: $13,985 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
29.6% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$63,775 – $132,451
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At La Quinta High in La Quinta, 59.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. La Quinta High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 24.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (60.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 58.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 399 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+28.4pp
55.9% vs 27.5% overall · n=34
Suspension · Homeless+8.8pp
11.8% vs 3.0% overall · n=34
ELA · English Learner−58.5pp
5.6% vs 64.0% overall · n=36
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−28.1pp
0.0% vs 28.1% overall · n=36
Math · Disabilities−26.3pp
3.2% vs 29.6% overall · n=62
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−10.0pp
0.0% vs 10.0% overall · n=62
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income399 tested
ELA 59.9%·Math 28.1%· +24.8pp vs district
Hispanic408 tested
ELA 60.0%·Math 26.5%· +24.3pp vs district
White92 tested
ELA 85.9%·Math 39.1%· +23.9pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$99K
$14K above CA median
Median Home Value
$662K
$3K above CA median
Bachelor's+
40%
5pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
14.2 years avg experience
102 teachers · 9% first-year · 6% second-year
Teacher Credentials
89% fully credentialed
2.0% on intern/emergency permit
AP Courses Offered
3 AP courses
26 students qualified via AP exam
Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
Frequently asked questions
Is La Quinta High a good high school?
La Quinta High has a Scope Score of 47 out of 100, placing it in the 56th percentile of California high schools and ranked #941 statewide. 19.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.2 percentage points above the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), 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 La Quinta High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 46.8% of students at La Quinta High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 19.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 19.1% 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. 1,096 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does La Quinta High rank in California?
La Quinta High ranks #941 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 56th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), 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.
What is the attendance and school culture like at La Quinta High?
27.5% of students at La Quinta High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 3.0%. 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 La Quinta High compare to other schools in La Quinta?
La Quinta High scores 47/100 (56th percentile) among California high 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 2,425 students. Use the schools in La Quinta page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does La Quinta High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At La Quinta High in La Quinta, 59.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. La Quinta High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 24.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (60.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 58.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 399 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.
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
97.1%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 61th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
19.1%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 53th pctile
College readiness · 20%
6.6%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 33th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
46.8%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 58th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
27.5%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 52th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.0%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 53th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
29.6%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 72th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 548 | 28% | 36% | 18% | 18% | 64% | +17 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 548 | 10% | 20% | 26% | 44% | 30% | +6 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 559 | 7% | 24% | 58% | 11% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 399 | 59.9% | +25 | +22 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 408 | 60.0% | +24 | +21 |
| White | 92 | 85.9% | +24 | +24 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta High ← | — | 47 | 19.1% | 46.8% | — | 3.0% |
| Summit High (Continuation) | 1.7 mi | 31 | 2.8% | 10.7% | — | 2.2% |
| California average | — | 44 | 15.8% | 35.7% | — | 3.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
97.1%
AP Exam Prepared
6.6%
A-G Completion
73.6%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
74.5%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1067 → #1227 → #1042 → #1025 → #941
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue