Enrollment
1,020
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cathedral City, CA
James Workman Middle
Federal NCES profile for James Workman Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062955004981
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Workman Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 9
- public schools in Cathedral City · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.7:1
- students per teacher
- 97.7%
- free-lunch eligible
James Workman Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Workman Middle ranks #5 of 9 public schools in Cathedral City, CA.
School address
District: Palm Springs Unified · California
NCES ID 062955004981 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Workman Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Workman Middle
James Workman Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Cathedral City, California, enrolling 1,020 students.
At 22.7:1, 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 is high: 97.7% of students qualify for free meals, 76% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 1,020 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 315 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #81.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 340 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.9% 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.
Among Cathedral City's middle schools, it stands alongside Nellie N. Coffman Middle (914 students): James Workman Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.7:1 vs 20.8:1).
Palm Springs Unified also operates Desert Hot Springs High (1,687 students) and Palm Springs High (1,497 students) alongside James Workman Middle.
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 James Workman Middle compares
James Workman Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.7% | ▲ 76% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,020 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.7:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,020
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.9%
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
$17,520
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 340 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 129 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.6 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 83.2%
White 7.1%
Asian 4.4%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.0, James Workman Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palm Springs Unified, which includes James Workman Middle.
$17,520
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 54.5%
Federal 9.5%
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 James Workman Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Hot Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rancho Mirage High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cathedral City High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nellie N. Coffman Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Workman Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,497
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,334
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 914
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Cathedral City
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~1,020 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Workman Middle's federal record.
- Compare James Workman Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Palm Springs 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 James Workman Middle
How many students attend James Workman Middle?
James Workman Middle has 1,020 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cathedral City, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Workman Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at James Workman Middle is 22.7:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Workman Middle?
97.7% of students at James Workman Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Workman Middle?
The largest demographic group at James Workman Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 83.2% of enrollment, in Cathedral City, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Workman Middle?
James Workman Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 James Workman Middle rank among public schools in Cathedral City?
By Resource Investment Index, James Workman Middle ranks #5 of 9 public schools in Cathedral City, 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 Cathedral City on the city page.
Is James Workman Middle a good school?
James Workman Middle earns 35/100 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 Palm Springs Unified?
Besides James Workman Middle, Palm Springs Unified also operates Desert Hot Springs High (1,687 students), Palm Springs High (1,497 students), and Rancho Mirage High (1,401 students). See the Palm Springs 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.