Enrollment
635
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · La Quinta, CA
Harry S. Truman Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Harry S. Truman Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061111008820
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harry S. Truman Elementary earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in La Quinta · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.5:1
- students per teacher
- 66.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Harry S. Truman Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harry S. Truman Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in La Quinta, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 061111008820 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harry S. Truman Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harry S. Truman Elementary
Harry S. Truman Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in La Quinta, California, enrolling 635 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 635 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,974 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,353.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and White (11%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 525 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among La Quinta's elementary schools, it stands alongside Benjamin Franklin Elementary (627 students): Harry S. Truman Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.5:1 vs 25.1:1).
Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students) and Palm Desert High (2,079 students) alongside Harry S. Truman 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 Harry S. Truman Elementary compares
Harry S. Truman 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 | 23.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.4% | ▲ 20% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 635 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.5:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
635
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
23.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in California - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
45.7%
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 525 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 76.9%
White 11.2%
Two or More 8.0%
African American 1.7%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.9, Harry S. Truman Elementary is less 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 Harry S. Truman Elementary.
$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 Harry S. Truman Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indio High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shadow Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert Charter Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harry S. Truman Elementary'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 La Quinta
2 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 (~635 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harry S. Truman Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Harry S. Truman Elementary 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 Harry S. Truman Elementary
How many students attend Harry S. Truman Elementary?
Harry S. Truman Elementary has 635 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in La Quinta, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harry S. Truman Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Harry S. Truman Elementary is 23.5:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harry S. Truman Elementary?
66.4% of students at Harry S. Truman Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harry S. Truman Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Harry S. Truman Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 76.9% of enrollment, in La Quinta, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harry S. Truman Elementary?
Harry S. Truman Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Harry S. Truman Elementary rank among elementary schools in La Quinta?
By Resource Investment Index, Harry S. Truman Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in La Quinta, 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 La Quinta on the city page.
Is Harry S. Truman Elementary a good school?
Harry S. Truman Elementary earns 19/100 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 Unified?
Besides Harry S. Truman Elementary, 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.