Enrollment
1,298
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Palm Desert, CA
Palm Desert Charter Middle
Federal NCES profile for Palm Desert Charter Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061111001231Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palm Desert Charter Middle earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of California schools.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Palm Desert · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.5:1
- large classes for California
- 45.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Palm Desert Charter Middle has class sizes larger than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palm Desert Charter Middle ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Palm Desert, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 061111001231 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palm Desert Charter Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palm Desert Charter Middle
Palm Desert Charter Middle is a large charter middle school in Palm Desert, California, enrolling 1,298 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.5:1 is larger than about 87% of California schools and 23% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,298 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 519 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #229.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (34%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 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 Palm Desert Charter 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 Palm Desert Charter Middle compares
Palm Desert Charter 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 | 26.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.6% | ▼ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,298 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,298
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in California - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
26.8%
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
Counselors3.2 FTE
Per 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 51.5%
White 34.2%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 6.0%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.0, Palm Desert Charter Middle 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 Palm Desert Charter Middle.
$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 Palm Desert Charter Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Indio High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shadow Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Glenn Middle School of International Studies | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palm Desert Charter Middle'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
- 1,099
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~1,298 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palm Desert Charter Middle's federal record.
- Compare Palm Desert Charter Middle 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 Palm Desert Charter Middle
How many students attend Palm Desert Charter Middle?
Palm Desert Charter Middle has 1,298 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Palm Desert, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palm Desert Charter Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Palm Desert Charter Middle is 26.5:1, which is 23% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 69% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palm Desert Charter Middle?
45.6% of students at Palm Desert Charter Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palm Desert Charter Middle?
The largest demographic group at Palm Desert Charter Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment, in Palm Desert, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palm Desert Charter Middle?
Palm Desert Charter Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Palm Desert Charter Middle rank among public schools in Palm Desert?
By Resource Investment Index, Palm Desert Charter Middle ranks #1 of 6 public 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 public schools in Palm Desert on the city page.
Is Palm Desert Charter Middle a good school?
Palm Desert Charter Middle earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Palm Desert Charter Middle, 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.