Desert Sands Unified: Desert Sands Unified high schools lead at 40.1. A 43.2-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.
Desert Sands Unified has 33 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 37.5/100 — 7.3 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Gerald R. Ford Elementary at 63/100, where 33.5% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $13,985 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 2 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 29.9%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Developing 39.2/100 | 20 | 15.2% | 26.1% |
| Middle | Developing 30.6/100 | 7 | 9.8% | 28.7% |
| High | Developing 40.1/100 | 6 | 10.3% | 44.0% |
Desert Sands Unified's high schools average 40.1/100 — 3.6 points below the state average.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Desert Sands Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Desert Sands Unified has 33 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 37.5/100 — 7.3 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Desert Sands Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 40.1.
District-wide elementary growth averages -0.9pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — growth is essentially flat.
Score range of 43.2 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 29.9%, 12.0pp above the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 3.0%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Gerald R. Ford Elementary leads the district at 63 with 33.5% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Desert Sands Unified
Hidden gems: 6 schools in Desert Sands Unified are classified as On the Rise (4) or Growth Engine (2) — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.
Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more
Student demographics
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Desert Sands Unified spends $13,985 per student in current expenditures — $829 below the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Every school in Desert Sands Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (20)
Desert Sands Unified has 20 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 39.2 — 5.7 points below the state average of 44.8.
Growth is essentially flat at -0.9pp.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Gerald R. Ford Elementary with a Scope Score of 63 and 33.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gerald R. Ford Elementary Desert Sands Unified Strong All-Around | 33.5% | Solid 63/100 |
| 2 | George Washington Charter Desert Sands Unified Strong All-Around | 37.9% | Solid 58/100 |
| 3 | James Monroe Elementary Desert Sands Unified Growth Engine | 26.5% | Solid 53/100 |
| 4 | James Earl Carter Elementary Desert Sands Unified On the Rise | 30.9% | Solid 51/100 |
| 5 | Martin Van Buren Elementary Desert Sands Unified Growth Engine | 16.9% | Developing 50/100 |
| 6 | Benjamin Franklin Elementary Desert Sands Unified On the Rise | 11.1% | Developing 43/100 |
| 7 | Amelia Earhart Elementary School of International Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 16.2% | Developing 42/100 |
| 8 | Abraham Lincoln Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 11.6% | Developing 41/100 |
| 9 | Richard R. Oliphant Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 15.6% | Developing 40/100 |
| 10 | Ronald Reagan Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 19.9% | Developing 37/100 |
| 11 | Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Jr. Academy Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 13.0% | Developing 37/100 |
| 12 | Carrillo Ranch Elementary Desert Sands Unified On the Rise | 12.3% | Developing 36/100 |
| 13 | Harry S. Truman Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 15.8% | Developing 34/100 |
| 14 | Theodore Roosevelt Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 7.2% | Developing 34/100 |
| 15 | Herbert Hoover Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 5.2% | Developing 32/100 |
| 16 | Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 6.0% | Developing 31/100 |
| 17 | Horizon Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 8.3% | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 18 | Andrew Jackson Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 7.3% | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 19 | James Madison Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 5.1% | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 20 | John F. Kennedy Elementary Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 3.1% | Needs Support 22/100 |
Middle Schools (7)
Desert Sands Unified has 7 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 30.6 — 12.0 points below the state average of 42.6.
Growth averages -2.9pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring middle school is Palm Desert Charter Middle with a Scope Score of 44 and 22.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palm Desert Charter Middle Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 22.5% | Developing 44/100 |
| 2 | John Glenn Middle School of International Studies Desert Sands Unified On the Rise | 16.3% | Developing 44/100 |
| 3 | La Quinta Middle Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 10.5% | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 4 | Desert Ridge Academy Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 9.6% | Needs Support 28/100 |
| 5 | Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 5.4% | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 6 | Indio Middle Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 2.1% | Needs Support 22/100 |
| 7 | Thomas Jefferson Middle Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 2.1% | Needs Support 20/100 |
High Schools (6)
Desert Sands Unified has 6 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 40.1 — 3.6 points below the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Palm Desert High with a Scope Score of 55 and 23.1% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palm Desert High Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 23.1% | Solid 55/100 |
| 2 | La Quinta High Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 19.1% | Developing 47/100 |
| 3 | Shadow Hills High Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 9.0% | Developing 46/100 |
| 4 | Indio High Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 7.6% | Developing 40/100 |
| 5 | Summit High (Continuation) Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 2.8% | Developing 31/100 |
| 6 | Amistad High (Continuation) Desert Sands Unified Building Momentum | 0.0% | Needs Support 21/100 |
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.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology