Palm Springs Unified operates 28 public schools serving 21,032 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 17 elementary, 5 high, 5 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 20,010 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 $19,325 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 36.1% local, 54.5% state, and 9.5% 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 $89,927 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 64/100, ranked #386 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 5 of 28 schools offering Advanced Placement (57 AP courses district-wide), a 405:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 38.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% White, 4.0% African American across the district's schools.
Palm Springs Unified school enrollment varies 562× across entities
Palm Springs Unified school enrollment ranges from 3 students (lowest) to 1,687 students (highest), a spread of 1,684 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Palm Springs Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 94.9% 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 — including this one — 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.
Palm Springs Unified student-counselor ratio is 405:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Palm Springs Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 38.4% — 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.
Palm Springs Unified has 28 schools, including 5 high, 5 middle, 17 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 21,032 students.
How much does Palm Springs Unified spend per student?
Palm Springs Unified spends $19,325 per student. The district has an equity score of 64/100, ranking #386 in California.
What is the average teacher salary in Palm Springs Unified?
The average teacher salary in Palm Springs Unified is $89,927 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs Unified?
Palm Springs Unified students are 81.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% White, 4.0% African American, 2.3% Asian, averaged across 28 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Palm Springs Unified?
Palm Springs Unified has an equity score of 64/100, ranking #386 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.