Enrollment
746
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palm Desert, CA
George Washington Charter
Federal NCES profile for George Washington Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061111001234Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
George Washington Charter earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Palm Desert · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.9:1
- large classes for California
- 35.2%
- free-lunch eligible
George Washington Charter has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, George Washington Charter ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Palm Desert, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 061111001234 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How George Washington Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at George Washington Charter
George Washington Charter is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Palm Desert, California, enrolling 746 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 746 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 1,246 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #652.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 617 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Palm Desert's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ronald Reagan Elementary (808 students): George Washington Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.9:1 vs 26.1:1).
Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students) and Palm Desert High (2,079 students) alongside George Washington 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 George Washington Charter compares
George Washington 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 | 24.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.2% | ▼ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 746 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.9:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
746
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
21.6%
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
$15,695
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
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 617 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
White 49.9%
Hispanic or Latino 35.9%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 5.1%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 49.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, George Washington Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desert Sands Unified, which includes George Washington Charter.
$15,695
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 50.5%
Federal 11.0%
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 George Washington Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indio High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shadow Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert Charter Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to George Washington Charter's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,425
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,079
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,962
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,650
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,298
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Palm Desert
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~746 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on George Washington Charter's federal record.
- Compare George Washington Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Desert Sands 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 George Washington Charter
How many students attend George Washington Charter?
George Washington Charter has 746 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palm Desert, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at George Washington Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at George Washington Charter is 24.9:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at George Washington Charter?
35.2% of students at George Washington Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of George Washington Charter?
The largest demographic group at George Washington Charter is White at 49.9% of enrollment, in Palm Desert, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for George Washington Charter?
George Washington Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 George Washington Charter rank among elementary schools in Palm Desert?
By Resource Investment Index, George Washington Charter ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Palm Desert, 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 Desert on the city page.
Is George Washington Charter a good school?
George Washington Charter earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of 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 Desert Sands Unified?
Besides George Washington Charter, Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students), Palm Desert High (2,079 students), and Indio High (1,962 students). See the Desert Sands 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.