Enrollment
607
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palm Desert, CA
Abraham Lincoln Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Abraham Lincoln Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061111001230
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Abraham Lincoln Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Palm Desert · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.3:1
- large classes for California
- 68.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Abraham Lincoln Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Abraham Lincoln Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Palm Desert, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 061111001230 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Abraham Lincoln Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Abraham Lincoln Elementary
Abraham Lincoln Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Palm Desert, California, enrolling 607 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 607 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 2,113 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,568, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and White (13%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 502 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Palm Desert's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ronald Reagan Elementary (808 students): Abraham Lincoln Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.3:1 vs 26.1:1).
Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students) and Palm Desert High (2,079 students) alongside Abraham Lincoln Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Abraham Lincoln Elementary compares
Abraham Lincoln Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.3:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.7% | ▲ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 607 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
607
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 81% in California - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
47.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,695
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 502 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 79.4%
White 12.5%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 3.0%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.2, Abraham Lincoln Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desert Sands Unified, which includes Abraham Lincoln Elementary.
$15,695
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 50.5%
Federal 11.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Abraham Lincoln Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indio High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shadow Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert Charter Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Abraham Lincoln Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,425
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,079
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,962
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,650
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,298
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Palm Desert
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~607 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Abraham Lincoln Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Abraham Lincoln Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Desert Sands Unified's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Abraham Lincoln Elementary
How many students attend Abraham Lincoln Elementary?
Abraham Lincoln Elementary has 607 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palm Desert, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Abraham Lincoln Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Abraham Lincoln Elementary is 25.3:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Abraham Lincoln Elementary?
68.7% of students at Abraham Lincoln Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Abraham Lincoln Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Abraham Lincoln Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 79.4% of enrollment, in Palm Desert, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Abraham Lincoln Elementary?
Abraham Lincoln Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Abraham Lincoln Elementary rank among elementary schools in Palm Desert?
By Resource Investment Index, Abraham Lincoln Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Palm Desert, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Palm Desert on the city page.
Is Abraham Lincoln Elementary a good school?
Abraham Lincoln Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Desert Sands Unified?
Besides Abraham Lincoln Elementary, Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students), Palm Desert High (2,079 students), and Indio High (1,962 students). See the Desert Sands Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.