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Public school district · California

Coachella Valley Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Coachella Valley Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

Desert Mirage HighCoachella Valley HighWest Shores HighNOVA Academy - CoachellaPeter Pendleton ElementaryValley View ElementaryCoral Mountain AcademyValle del Sol ElementaryLas Palmitas ElementaryCesar Chavez ElementaryJohn Kelley ElementaryMecca ElementarySaul Martinez ElementaryWestside ElementarySea View ElementaryMountain Vista ElementaryPalm View ElementaryLa Familia Continuation HighOasis ElementaryCoachella Valley UnifiedN ↑
19 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary14 schools
avg 25.0/1007 Needs Support, 6 Developing, +1 more
High5 schools
avg 40.1/1003 Developing, 2 Needs Support

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 2

The elementary years

28 points separate Peter Pendleton Elementary (40) from Oasis Elementary (12) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

14 elementary schools span 28 points around an average of 25.0.

The strength

Peter Pendleton Elementary is the strongest option at 40/100 — 20.2% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

31.4% of students are chronically absent (state: 17.9%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

59th percentile · SolidScope Score 40/100
39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 32/100
38th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 31/100

All 14 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 2

The high school years

35 points separate Desert Mirage High (49) from La Familia Continuation High (13) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100

35 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 5 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.

1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

Desert Mirage High is the strongest option at 49/100 — 10.1% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

42.2% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

Desert Mirage High
Building Momentum
35th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
Coachella Valley High
Building Momentum
34th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 48/100
West Shores High
Building Momentum
32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 47/100

All 5 high schools, ranked, in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Peter Pendleton Elementary at 40/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

1 of the 19 ranked schools is a charter — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 6 campuses here rank as On the Rise, their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring run through the district:

Peter Pendleton Elementary 59th percentile · SolidScope Score 40/100Desert Mirage High 35th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100

Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

Coachella Valley Unified has 19 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

14 comparable schools · average 25.0/100 · range 11.7–39.5

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

4 comparable schools · average 46.8/100 · range 43.0–48.5

Explore Coachella Valley Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Coachella Valley Unifiedthis district29.8 / 10018Desert Mirage High—
Desert Sands Unified27.8 / 10018La Quinta High10.0 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in Coachella Valley Unified

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Coachella Valley Unified · 14 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Peter Pendleton Elementary
Coachella Valley Unified Building Momentum
20.2%59th percentile · SolidScope Score 40/100
Valley View Elementary
Coachella Valley Unified On the Rise
11.6%39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 32/100
Coral Mountain Academy
Coachella Valley Unified On the Rise
10.8%38th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 31/100
Valle del Sol Elementary
Coachella Valley Unified Building Momentum
12.5%29th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 28/100
Las Palmitas Elementary
Coachella Valley Unified On the Rise
5.9%26th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 27/100
Cesar Chavez Elementary
Coachella Valley Unified On the Rise
5.8%25th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 27/100

High schools in Coachella Valley Unified · 5 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Desert Mirage High
Coachella Valley Unified Building Momentum
10.1%35th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
Coachella Valley High
Coachella Valley Unified Building Momentum
7.7%34th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 48/100
West Shores High
Coachella Valley Unified Building Momentum
6.9%32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 47/100
NOVA Academy - Coachella
Coachella Valley Unified Building Momentum
17.1%20th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 43/100
La Familia Continuation High
Coachella Valley Unified continuation high school
0.0%10th percentile · Needs SupportWithin its own school classScope Score 13/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Coachella Valley Unified spent $25,961 per student in FY 2024–25 — $5,470 more than the median California district ($20,491), about 27% higher. About 64 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction64%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services11%
  • Administration5%
  • Buildings & maintenance8%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$65,655–$136,033
Teaching staff823 · FTE
District enrollment17,299 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 97.6% · White 1.1% · Black 0.2% · Asian 0.1% · Other 1.0%
Free/reduced lunch93% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Coachella Valley Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 19 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Coachella Valley Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 19 public schools in Coachella Valley Unified with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Coachella Valley Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Peter Pendleton Elementary (40/100). High: Desert Mirage High (49/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Coachella Valley Unified guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.