Enrollment
824
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palm Springs, CA
Cielo Vista Charter
Federal NCES profile for Cielo Vista Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062955004562Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cielo Vista Charter earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Palm Springs · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.1:1
- students per teacher
- 92.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cielo Vista Charter has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cielo Vista Charter ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Palm Springs, CA.
School address
District: Palm Springs Unified · California
NCES ID 062955004562 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cielo Vista Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cielo Vista Charter
Cielo Vista Charter is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Palm Springs, California, enrolling 824 students.
At 21.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 92.9% of students qualify for free meals, 67% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 824 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.
Among 774 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #24, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 412 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Palm Springs's elementary schools, it stands alongside Katherine Finchy Elementary (464 students): Cielo Vista Charter is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.1:1 vs 16.6:1).
Palm Springs Unified also operates Desert Hot Springs High (1,687 students) and Palm Springs High (1,497 students) alongside Cielo Vista Charter.
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 Cielo Vista Charter compares
Cielo Vista Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.9% | ▲ 67% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 824 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
824
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 44% in California - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
11.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 412 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 81.8%
White 8.3%
Asian 5.1%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.0, Cielo Vista Charter 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 Cielo Vista Charter.
$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 Cielo Vista Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Hot Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rancho Mirage High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cathedral City High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| James Workman Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cielo Vista Charter'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 Palm Springs
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Katherine Finchy Elementary
Standard public school
464 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Vista Del Monte Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Cahuilla Elementary
Standard public school
399 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Virtual Pre
Standard public school
3 students
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 (~824 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cielo Vista Charter's federal record.
- Compare Cielo Vista Charter 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 Cielo Vista Charter
How many students attend Cielo Vista Charter?
Cielo Vista Charter has 824 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palm Springs, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cielo Vista Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Cielo Vista Charter is 21.1:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Cielo Vista Charter?
92.9% of students at Cielo Vista Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cielo Vista Charter?
The largest demographic group at Cielo Vista Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 81.8% of enrollment, in Palm Springs, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cielo Vista Charter?
Cielo Vista Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Cielo Vista Charter rank among elementary schools in Palm Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Cielo Vista Charter ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Palm Springs, 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 Springs on the city page.
Is Cielo Vista Charter a good school?
Cielo Vista Charter earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Cielo Vista Charter, 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.