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Palm Springs Unified School District

150 District Center Dr.
Palm Springs, CA 92264-3626
(District boundaries shown in map)
4/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Palm Springs Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 7 public middle schools serving 5,377 students in Palm Springs Unified School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in California.
Public Middle Schools in Palm Springs Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 20% (versus the California public middle school average of 32%), and reading proficiency score of 36% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 92% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the California public middle school average of 78% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
27 Schools
3,496 Schools
# Students
19,797 Students
1,854,189 Students
# Teachers
969 Teachers
87,800 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
20:1
20:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Palm Springs Unified School District, which is ranked #1296 of all 1,908 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 89% has decreased from 92% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#1221 out of 1932 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
22%
34%
36%
47%
18%
29%
89%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.33
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
3%
11%
% Hispanic
81%
55%
% Black
4%
5%
% White
9%
22%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $23,748 is higher than the state median of $19,974. The school district revenue/student has grown by 31% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $20,450 is higher than the state median of $18,395. The school district spending/student has grown by 18% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$470 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$405 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$23,748
$19,974
Spending / Student
$20,450
$18,395

Best Palm Springs Unified School District Public Middle Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Cielo Vista Charter
Charter School
(Math: 40% | Reading: 55%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
650 South Paseo Dorotea
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 416-8250
Gr: K-8 | 850 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 91%
Rank: #22.
Raymond Cree Middle School
(Math: 25% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1011 Vista Chino
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 416-8283
Gr: 6-8 | 710 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 89%
Rank: #33.
James Workman Middle School
(Math: 23% | Reading: 37%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
69-300 30th Ave.
Cathedral City, CA 92234
(760) 770-8540
Gr: 6-8 | 1,027 student Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 94%
Rank: #44.
Desert Learning Academy
Alternative School
(Math: 18% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
2248 East Ramon Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 778-0487
Gr: K-12 | 378 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 83%
Rank: #55.
Nellie N. Coffman Middle School
(Math: 17% | Reading: 32%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
34-603 Plumley Rd.
Cathedral City, CA 92234
(760) 770-8617
Gr: 6-8 | 928 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 97%
Rank: #66.
Desert Springs Middle School
(Math: 12% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
66-755 Two Bunch Palms Trail
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
(760) 251-7200
Gr: 6-8 | 740 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 93%
Rank: #77.
Painted Hills Middle School
(Math: 11% | Reading: 25%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
9250 Sonora Dr.
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
(760) 251-1551
Gr: 6-8 | 744 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 89%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 27 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 19,797 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 91%
  • : 89% (Top 30% in CA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 22% (Btm 50%)
  • : 36% (Btm 50%)
  • : 18% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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