operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 0629550
Palm Springs Unified
Cathedral City, CA
Students20,416
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictCAUnited States
Academic standing2025
26th percentile42nd percentile45th percentileThis district is 16 percentile points lower than the state figure and 19 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
40.3%27.7%27.8%This district is 12.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 12.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$29,773$25,614$19,509This district is $4,159 per student higher than the state figure and $10,264 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$20,808$18,479$15,859This district is $2,329 per student higher than the state figure and $4,949 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$1,091$2,019$1,964This district is $928 per student lower than the state figure and $873 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$107$135$336This district is $28 per student lower than the state figure and $229 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$3,058$2,978$1,793This district is $80 per student higher than the state figure and $1,265 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$10,850$9,951$8,742This district is $899 per student higher than the state figure and $2,108 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$5,571$4,693$3,769This district is $878 per student higher than the state figure and $1,802 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$19,502$18,517$11,715This district is $985 per student higher than the state figure and $7,787 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$1,975$916$869This district is $1,059 per student higher than the state figure and $1,106 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
20:122:115:1This district is 2.0 students per teacher lower than the state figure and 5.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
334:1443:1376:1This district is 109 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 42 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
111.5108.2138.9This district is 3.3 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 27.4 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
12.716.918.5This district is 4.2 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 5.8 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.01.30.9This district is 0.3 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
99.1%98.6%99.0%This district is 0.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
1.5%2.7%2.6%This district is 1.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
28.8%19.3%12.0%This district is 9.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 16.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
11.7%12.5%14.0%This district is 0.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
0.6%2.1%3.9%This district is 1.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%95.9%95.8%This district is 4.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
-4.2%-0.6%+0.5%This district is 3.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
96.1%57.8%50.6%This district is 38.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 45.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.7%2.8%4.5%This district is 2.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
9.2%6.1%9.0%This district is 3.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.9%4.5%6.7%This district is 1.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
4.9%5.7%5.1%This district is 0.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
13.8%13.9%14.4%This district is 0.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Kindergarten–grade 59,222 students
45.2%Grades 6–84,582 students
22.4%Grades 9–126,612 students
32.4%See enrollment for every grade
Kindergarten1,663
Grade 11,417
Grade 21,429
Grade 31,532
Grade 41,571
Grade 51,610
Grade 61,522
Grade 71,506
Grade 81,554
Grade 91,559
Grade 101,579
Grade 111,683
Grade 121,791
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Kindergarten teachers97.2 FTE
Elementary teachers576.7 FTE
Secondary teachers325.3 FTE
Elementary school counselors31 FTE
Secondary school counselors27.1 FTE
Instructional coordinators33.2 FTE
District administrators9 FTE
District administrative support46.7 FTE
School administrative support127.3 FTE
Other support staff616.7 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
28.8%Students learning English6,128 students · 27 of 27 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
11.7%Students receiving IDEA special-education services2,483 students · 27 of 27 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.6%Students with Section 504 plans101 students · 21 of 27 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
4.9%English learners also receiving IDEA services1,049 students · 27 of 27 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in CA receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Pomona UnifiedPomona, CA20,966 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Fairfield-Suisun UnifiedFairfield, CA20,413 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →East Side Union HighSan Jose, CA20,471 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Montebello UnifiedMontebello, CA19,967 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Val Verde UnifiedPerris, CA19,361 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Asian students65 assessments
75 out of 100White students1,119 assessments
46 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged527 assessments
33 out of 100Fem8,499 assessments
26 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students17,061 assessments
25 out of 100Mal9,296 assessments
25 out of 100Hispanic students14,776 assessments
24 out of 100Black students405 assessments
19 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$17,520
→FY 2023$20,808
FY 2022$1,054
→FY 2023$1,091
FY 2022$22,085
→FY 2023$19,502
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
6,415 of 21,698 students
7,206 of 21,301 students
8,469 of 21,029 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I6 reporting schools
100%
Calculus6 reporting schools
83%
Biology6 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry6 reporting schools
100%
Physics6 reporting schools
83%
Computer science6 reporting schools
0%
Advanced Placement6 reporting schools
83%
Dual enrollment6 reporting schools
83%
Gifted programs27 reporting schools
96%
International Baccalaureate6 reporting schools
17%
Athletics5 reporting schools
80%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
1,165Out-of-school suspensions27 reporting schoolsSee schools →0In-school suspensions26 reporting schoolsSee schools →18Law-enforcement referrals26 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests26 reporting schoolsSee schools →6Physical restraint1 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?40.3% chronically absent2022–23 · 21,029 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?8 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$20,808current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?334:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →