Desert Center Unified operates 1 public schools serving 26 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 29 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Riverside County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $63,357 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 77.6% local, 13.9% state, and 8.5% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $193,393 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts.
and 58.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 44.8% White, 44.8% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% Asian across the district's schools.
Eagle Mountain Elementary accounts for 100.0% of all Desert Center Unified student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Desert Center Unified-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Desert Center Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 68.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Desert Center Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 58.6% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Desert Center Unified has 1 schools, including 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 26 students.
How much does Desert Center Unified spend per student?
Desert Center Unified spends $63,357 per student.
What is the average teacher salary in Desert Center Unified?
The average teacher salary in Desert Center Unified is $193,393 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Desert Center Unified?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Riverside County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Desert Center Unified?
Desert Center Unified students are 44.8% White, 44.8% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% Asian, averaged across 1 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.