Palm Springs Unified

The Palm Springs Unified School District consists of 27 schools, including 16 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 5 high schools, and 1 alternative school, serving students in the Palm Springs area. The data reveals significant disparities in academic performance across the district, with a few standout schools like Cielo Vista Charter, Sunny Sands Elementary, and Katherine Finchy Elementary consistently outperforming the district and state averages, while other schools struggle with low test scores, high dropout rates, and chronic absenteeism.

The district's high schools have a wide range of 4-year graduation rates, from a low of 80.7% at Mt. San Jacinto High to a high of 96.2% at Palm Springs High. Dropout rates also vary significantly, from a low of 1.6% at Palm Springs High to a high of 19.1% at Desert Learning Academy. Chronic absenteeism is a major issue across the district, with rates ranging from 16.5% at Cielo Vista Charter to 60.9% at Mt. San Jacinto High.

The data suggests that the schools with the highest rates of students from low-income families tend to have the lowest academic outcomes, highlighting the challenges these high-poverty schools face. However, the presence of standout schools like Cielo Vista Charter, Sunny Sands Elementary, and Katherine Finchy Elementary demonstrates that it is possible to achieve strong results even in a high-need district, suggesting the need for more targeted, data-driven interventions to address the disparities and improve outcomes for all students in the Palm Springs Unified School District.