Enrollment
606
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cathedral City, CA
Cathedral City Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cathedral City Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062955004561
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cathedral City Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Cathedral City · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- students per teacher
- 97.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Cathedral City Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cathedral City Elementary ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Cathedral City, CA.
School address
District: Palm Springs Unified · California
NCES ID 062955004561 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cathedral City Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cathedral City Elementary
Cathedral City Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Cathedral City, California, enrolling 606 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 97.4% of students qualify for free meals, 75% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 606 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 820 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #94.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Cathedral City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sunny Sands Elementary (692 students): Cathedral City Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.5:1 vs 22.3:1).
Palm Springs Unified also operates Desert Hot Springs High (1,687 students) and Palm Springs High (1,497 students) alongside Cathedral City 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 Cathedral City Elementary compares
Cathedral City 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 | 19.5:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.4% | ▲ 75% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 606 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
606
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 31% in California - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.8%
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
$17,520
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 93.1%
White 2.6%
Two or More 1.7%
African American 1.5%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.2, Cathedral City Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palm Springs Unified, which includes Cathedral City Elementary.
$17,520
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 54.5%
Federal 9.5%
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 Cathedral City Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Hot Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palm Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho Mirage High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cathedral City High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James Workman Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cathedral City Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,497
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,334
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,020
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Cathedral City
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sunny Sands Elementary
Standard public school
692 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Agua Caliente Elementary
Standard public school
645 students 23:1 students per teacher
Rio Vista Elementary
Standard public school
637 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Landau Elementary
Standard public school
579 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~606 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cathedral City Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cathedral City Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Palm Springs 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 Cathedral City Elementary
How many students attend Cathedral City Elementary?
Cathedral City Elementary has 606 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cathedral City, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cathedral City Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cathedral City Elementary is 19.5:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 24% 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 Cathedral City Elementary?
97.4% of students at Cathedral City Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cathedral City Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cathedral City Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 93.1% of enrollment, in Cathedral City, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cathedral City Elementary?
Cathedral City Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cathedral City Elementary rank among elementary schools in Cathedral City?
By Resource Investment Index, Cathedral City Elementary ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Cathedral City, 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 Cathedral City on the city page.
Is Cathedral City Elementary a good school?
Cathedral City Elementary earns 36/100 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 Palm Springs Unified?
Besides Cathedral City Elementary, Palm Springs Unified also operates Desert Hot Springs High (1,687 students), Palm Springs High (1,497 students), and Rancho Mirage High (1,401 students). See the Palm Springs 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.