Enrollment
605
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lancaster, CA
Desert Winds Continuation High
Federal NCES profile for Desert Winds Continuation High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060282000204
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Winds Continuation High earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 8
- high schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.6:1
- students per teacher
- 74.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Winds Continuation High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Winds Continuation High ranks #5 of 8 high schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Antelope Valley Union High · California
NCES ID 060282000204 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Winds Continuation High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Winds Continuation High
Desert Winds Continuation High is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 605 students.
At 21.6:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 605 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 2,140 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #737.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 57/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 303 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lancaster's high schools, it stands alongside Lancaster High (2,688 students): Desert Winds Continuation High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.6:1 vs 24.9:1).
Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students) and Highland High (2,706 students) alongside Desert Winds Continuation 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 Desert Winds Continuation High compares
Desert Winds Continuation 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 | 21.6:1 | ▲ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.8% | ▲ 35% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 605 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
605
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 49% in California - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$15,679
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 303 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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 57.0%
African American 31.6%
White 5.5%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.0, Desert Winds Continuation High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Antelope Valley Union High, which includes Desert Winds Continuation High.
$15,679
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.3%
State 64.5%
Federal 15.3%
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 Desert Winds Continuation High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartz Hill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William J. (Pete) Knight High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Winds Continuation High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,175
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,706
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 2,688
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,631
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,349
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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
Desert Sands Charter
Standard public school
727 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Soar High (Students on Academic Rise)
Alternative education program
670 students 39.4:1 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 (~605 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Winds Continuation High's federal record.
- Compare Desert Winds Continuation High against another school. Compare schools
- Antelope Valley Union High'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 Winds Continuation High
How many students attend Desert Winds Continuation High?
Desert Winds Continuation High has 605 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Winds Continuation High?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Winds Continuation High is 21.6:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Winds Continuation High?
74.8% of students at Desert Winds Continuation High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Winds Continuation High?
The largest demographic group at Desert Winds Continuation High is Hispanic or Latino at 57.0% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Winds Continuation High?
Desert Winds Continuation High has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Winds Continuation High rank among high schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Winds Continuation High ranks #5 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 Winds Continuation High a good school?
Desert Winds Continuation High earns 23/100 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 Antelope Valley Union High?
Besides Desert Winds Continuation High, Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students), Highland High (2,706 students), and Lancaster High (2,688 students). See the Antelope Valley Union High 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.