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Regular local school district · Riverside County

Desert Sands Unified, CA: schools, enrollment and spending

Desert Sands Unified runs 35 public schools with 25,615 students in grades K to 12. Its ratio of 23.7 students per teacher is 1.8 higher than the California figure of 21.9.

At a glance

Schools
35
Students
25,615
Teachers (FTE)
1,080
Students per teacher
23.7
CA: 21.9 · US: 15.3
Address
47-950 Dune Palms Rd., La Quinta, CA 92253
Phone
(760)777-4200
County
Riverside County
Locale
Suburb: Large
Grades offered
K to 12
Agency type
Regular local school district
NCES district ID
0611110
State district ID
CA-3367058
Total staff (FTE)
2,528
School counselors (FTE)
81.0About 316 students per counselor.
School administrators (FTE)
72.0
Charter schools
2
Location from NCES coordinates. Map data OpenStreetMap contributors. Open larger map

Students per teacher compared

This district23.7
California21.9
United States15.3

2020 finance data

From the F-33 School District Finance Survey for fiscal year 2020, in nominal dollars. Enrollment used for per-pupil figures is the finance survey count (26,982), which can differ from 2024-25 enrollment.
Total revenue
$478.2 million
Federal revenue
$56.5 million
State revenue
$245.5 million
Local revenue
$176.2 million
Total spending
$432.6 million
Spending per pupil
$16,032
Salaries
$208.1 million48.1% of total spending.
Long-term debt (end of year)
$465.0 million

Where revenue came from

  • Federal: 11.8%
  • State: 51.3%
  • Local: 36.9%

California overall

  • Federal: 13.4%
  • State: 51.6%
  • Local: 35.0%

Spending per pupil compared

This district$16,032
California$17,799
United States$16,826

Schools in Desert Sands Unified

By level: 7 high, 7 middle, 19 elementary, 2 other. A CEP school serves free meals to all students.
Abraham Lincoln ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 560725.3
Amelia Earhart Elementary School of International StudiesCEP schoolElementaryK to 574824.9
Amistad High (Continuation)CEP schoolHigh9 to 1219212.8
Andrew Jackson ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 575022.7
Benjamin Franklin ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 562721.6
Carrillo Ranch ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 545922.9
Colonel Mitchell Paige MiddleCEP schoolMiddle6 to 843920.9
Desert Ridge AcademyCEP schoolMiddle6 to 896224.1
Desert Sands A.T.L.A.S.CEP schoolHigh126917.2
Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Jr. AcademyCEP schoolElementaryK to 559222.8
George Washington CharterCEP schoolCharterElementaryK to 574625.7
Gerald R. Ford ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 559823.9
Harry S. Truman ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 563525.4
Herbert Hoover ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 532625.1
HorizonOtherK to 1228623.8
Indio HighCEP schoolHigh9 to 121,96223.6
Indio MiddleCEP schoolMiddle6 to 876822.6
James Earl Carter ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 548722.1
James Madison ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 540323.7
James Monroe ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 556225.5
John Adams Early Childhood Learning Center
John F. Kennedy ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 539021.7
John Glenn Middle School of International StudiesCEP schoolMiddle6 to 81,09925.0
La Quinta HighCEP schoolHigh9 to 122,42525.0
La Quinta MiddleCEP schoolMiddle6 to 870923.6
Lyndon B. Johnson ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 556021.5
Martin Van Buren ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 553324.2
Palm Desert Charter MiddleCEP schoolCharterMiddle6 to 81,29827.6
Palm Desert HighCEP schoolHigh9 to 122,07926.3
Richard R. Oliphant ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 556821.8
Ronald Reagan ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 580823.8
Shadow Hills HighCEP schoolHigh9 to 121,65023.6
Summit High (Continuation)CEP schoolHigh10 to 1219517.7
Theodore Roosevelt ElementaryCEP schoolElementaryK to 549022.3
Thomas Jefferson MiddleCEP schoolMiddle6 to 859128.1

Nearby and related

Other districts in Riverside County

More in California

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and F-33 finance 2020, via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Last reviewed October 2026. Finance figures are 2020 finance data in nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Blank values are not available, not applicable or suppressed in the source. See the methodology.