Enrollment
668
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Coachella, CA
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060907005008
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 10
- public schools in Coachella · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.2:1
- students per teacher
- 69.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High ranks #2 of 10 public schools in Coachella, CA.
School address
District: Coachella Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 060907005008 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Coachella, California, enrolling 668 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 668 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,971 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #490.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 334 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Coachella's middle schools, it stands alongside Bobby Duke Middle (648 students): Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.2:1 vs 19.1:1).
Coachella Valley Unified also operates Coachella Valley High (2,300 students) and Desert Mirage High (1,875 students) alongside Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High.
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 Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High compares
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.2:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.7% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 668 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
668
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 36% in California - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
44.3%
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
$18,466
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 334 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 98.7%
Two or More 0.6%
African American 0.4%
White 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.6, Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Coachella Valley Unified, which includes Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High.
$18,466
Per student
+12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.5%
State 62.1%
Federal 15.5%
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 Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coachella Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Desert Mirage High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Toro Canyon Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Saul Martinez Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Mountain Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,300
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 961
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar middle schools in Coachella
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~668 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Coachella Valley 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 Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High
How many students attend Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High?
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High has 668 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Coachella, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High is 20.2:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High?
69.7% of students at Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 98.7% of enrollment, in Coachella, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High?
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High rank among public schools in Coachella?
By Resource Investment Index, Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High ranks #2 of 10 public schools in Coachella, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Coachella on the city page.
Is Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High a good school?
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Coachella Valley Unified?
Besides Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High, Coachella Valley Unified also operates Coachella Valley High (2,300 students), Desert Mirage High (1,875 students), and Toro Canyon Middle (989 students). See the Coachella Valley 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.