Enrollment
568
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Indio, CA
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Richard R. Oliphant Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061111014222
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 11
- elementary schools in Indio · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.8:1
- students per teacher
- 58.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richard R. Oliphant Elementary ranks #2 of 11 elementary schools in Indio, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 061111014222 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richard R. Oliphant Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Indio, California, enrolling 568 students.
At 21.8:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 568 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,779 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,069.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 469 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Indio's elementary schools, it stands alongside Andrew Jackson Elementary (750 students): Richard R. Oliphant Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.8:1 vs 25:1).
Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students) and Palm Desert High (2,079 students) alongside Richard R. Oliphant 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 Richard R. Oliphant Elementary compares
Richard R. Oliphant 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 | 21.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.9% | ▲ 6% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 51% in California - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
51.2%
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 469 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 84.9%
White 8.1%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 1.8%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.1, Richard R. Oliphant 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 Richard R. Oliphant 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 Richard R. Oliphant Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indio High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shadow Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert Charter Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richard R. Oliphant 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 Indio
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Andrew Jackson Elementary
Standard public school
750 students 25:1 students per teacher
Amelia Earhart Elementary School of International Studies
Standard public school
748 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Mountain Vista Elementary
Standard public school
599 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Jr. Academy
Standard public school
592 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary
Standard public school
560 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Martin Van Buren Elementary
Standard public school
533 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~568 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richard R. Oliphant Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Richard R. Oliphant 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 Richard R. Oliphant Elementary
How many students attend Richard R. Oliphant Elementary?
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary has 568 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Indio, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary is 21.8:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary?
58.9% of students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richard R. Oliphant Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 84.9% of enrollment, in Indio, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richard R. Oliphant Elementary?
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Richard R. Oliphant Elementary rank among elementary schools in Indio?
By Resource Investment Index, Richard R. Oliphant Elementary ranks #2 of 11 elementary schools in Indio, 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 Indio on the city page.
Is Richard R. Oliphant Elementary a good school?
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary earns 22/100 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 Richard R. Oliphant 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.