Enrollment
286
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · La Quinta, CA
Horizon
Federal NCES profile for Horizon, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 061111008560
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools.
- #1 of 8
- public schools in La Quinta · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- small classes for California
- 71.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon has class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon ranks #1 of 8 public schools in La Quinta, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 061111008560 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon
Horizon is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in La Quinta, California, enrolling 286 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.6:1, Horizon is leaner than roughly 91% of California schools and 37% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 286 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,101 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #101, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and White (15%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 188 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 86.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students) and Palm Desert High (2,079 students) alongside Horizon.
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 Horizon compares
Horizon on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 37% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.0% | ▲ 28% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
286
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 37% below state mean
Top 9% in California - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
86.4%
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 188 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 75.9%
White 15.0%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.6, Horizon is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desert Sands Unified, which includes Horizon.
$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 Horizon Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indio High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shadow Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert Charter Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon'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 other 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 (~286 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon's federal record.
- Compare Horizon 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 Horizon
How many students attend Horizon?
Horizon has 286 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in La Quinta, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon is 13.6:1, which is 37% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 13% lower 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 Horizon?
71.0% of students at Horizon are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon?
The largest demographic group at Horizon is Hispanic or Latino at 75.9% of enrollment, in La Quinta, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon?
Horizon has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Horizon rank among public schools in La Quinta?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon ranks #1 of 8 public 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 public schools in La Quinta on the city page.
Is Horizon a good school?
Horizon earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Horizon, 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.