Enrollment
727
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lancaster, CA
Desert Sands Charter
Federal NCES profile for Desert Sands Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060178408714Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 19
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Sands Charter earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 8
- high schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.2:1
- students per teacher
- 78.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Sands Charter has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sands Charter ranks #3 of 8 high schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Charter District · California
NCES ID 060178408714 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Sands Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Sands Charter
Desert Sands Charter is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter high school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 727 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 78.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 727 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 1,789 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #540.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and Two or More (15%) (diversity index 59/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 160 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 69.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Desert Sands Charter District spends $40,182 per pupil, 143% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Lancaster's high schools, it stands alongside Lancaster High (2,688 students): Desert Sands Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.2:1 vs 24.9:1).
Desert Sands Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Desert Sands Charter operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Desert Sands Charter compares
Desert Sands 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 | 20.2:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.6% | ▲ 42% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 727 | top 22% | - | - |
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.
727
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
69.9%
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
$40,182
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.6 FTE
Per 160 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 60.0%
Two or More 14.7%
African American 13.6%
White 11.1%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.8, Desert Sands Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desert Sands Charter District, which includes Desert Sands Charter.
$40,182
Per student
+143%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+142%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.7%
State 81.3%
Federal 7.9%
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.
Similar high schools in Lancaster
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Lancaster High
Standard public school
2,688 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Eastside High
Standard public school
2,631 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Antelope Valley High
Standard public school
1,498 students 22:1 students per teacher
Soar High (Students on Academic Rise)
Alternative education program
670 students 39.4:1 students per teacher
Desert Winds Continuation High
Alternative education program
605 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Empower Generations
Standard public school
81 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~727 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Sands Charter's federal record.
- Compare Desert Sands Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Desert Sands Charter District'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 Desert Sands Charter
How many students attend Desert Sands Charter?
Desert Sands Charter has 727 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sands Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sands Charter 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 Desert Sands Charter?
78.6% of students at Desert Sands Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Sands Charter?
The largest demographic group at Desert Sands Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 60.0% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Sands Charter?
Desert Sands Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Sands Charter rank among high schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sands Charter ranks #3 of 8 high schools in Lancaster, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Lancaster on the city page.
Is Desert Sands Charter a good school?
Desert Sands Charter earns 25/100 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 Desert Sands Charter District?
None; Desert Sands Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Desert Sands Charter is its only campus.
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.