Is Harry S. Truman Elementary a good school?

Harry S. Truman Elementary ranks 3066 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Harry S. Truman Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 644 students attended Harry S. Truman Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Harry S. Truman Elementary?

Students at Harry S. Truman Elementary are 75% Hispanic, 11% White, 10% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Harry S. Truman Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harry S. Truman Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : La Quinta Middle High : La Quinta High

Harry S. Truman Elementary

Summary:

Harry S. Truman Elementary is a public elementary school in La Quinta, California, serving 666 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Desert Sands Unified School District, which is ranked 1011 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harry S. Truman Elementary has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from a high of 870 out of 5,390 California elementary schools in 2011-2012 to a current ranking of 3066 out of 5,862 schools. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with Hispanic students and English Language Learners performing relatively better, while White students and multi-racial students perform significantly worse. The school has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 11.3% in 2017-2018 to 37.6% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the district and state averages. Academically, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are around 35-40%, compared to the district's 39-43% and the state's 42-47%.

When compared to other nearby schools within the Desert Sands Unified District, Harry S. Truman Elementary generally performs better than schools like John F. Kennedy Elementary and James Madison Elementary, which have even lower statewide rankings and test scores. However, it lags behind higher-performing schools like Gerald R. Ford Elementary and Amelia Earhart Elementary School of International Studies. The high percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch at Harry S. Truman Elementary, as well as the lower performance of White and multi-racial students, indicate that the school may be serving a more disadvantaged student population compared to the surrounding area.

Detail:

Public K-5

78-870 Avenue 50
La Quinta, CA 92253-2400

(760) 777-4230

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3066^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,698

Students who attend Harry S. Truman Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	La Quinta Middle
High:	La Quinta High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.7

Number of students: 644

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.2%

White:

11.2%

Two or more races:

9.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 80.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Harry S. Truman Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Harry S. Truman Elementary ranks worse than 52.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 7^th among 18 ranked elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (75.2%), White (11.2%), two or more races (9.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 80.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Harry S. Truman Elementary is 25.7. 16 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Harry S. Truman Elementary employs 25 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harry S. Truman Elementary is $7,698. 13 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Harry S. Truman Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Harry S. Truman Elementary 3066^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Harry S. Truman Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Desert Sands Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Sands Unified 1011^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Harry S. Truman Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	49.52	2179^th	4809	54.7%
2005	50.47	2175^th	4822	54.9%
2006	53.31	2033^rd	4818	57.8%
2007	51.40	2238^th	5113	56.2%
2008	61.37	1792^nd	5113	65.0%
2009	66.95	1592^nd	5193	69.3%
2010	64.15	1775^th	5314	66.6%
2011	80.01	999^th	5377	81.4%
2012	82.73	870^th	5390	83.9%
2013	77.84	1172^nd	5530	78.8%
2015	62.14	1847^th	5611	67.1%
2016	73.48	1371^st	5614	75.6%
2017	64.11	1836^th	5692	67.7%
2018	66.22	1752^nd	5662	69.1%
2019	62.14	1965^th	5789	66.1%
2022	37.23	3280^th	5883	44.2%
2023	38.03	3280^th	5874	44.2%
2024	42.00	3066^th	5862	47.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	7.62	578^th	610	5.2%
2023	3.52	653^rd	669	2.4%
2024	7.86	630^th	669	5.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	82.38	301^st	3246	90.7%
2019	70.32	526^th	3275	83.9%
2022	51.41	1118^th	3311	66.2%
2023	47.62	1311^th	3250	59.7%
2024	46.45	1389^th	3160	56.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.09	1078^th	2420	55.5%
2024	45.80	1099^th	2634	58.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	76.78	828^th	5084	83.7%
2019	60.84	1721^st	5173	66.7%
2022	41.85	2847^th	5264	45.9%
2023	38.12	3219^th	5374	40.1%
2024	46.96	2600^th	5511	52.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.18	1873^rd	5413	65.4%
2019	63.92	1801^st	5492	67.2%
2022	42.81	2821^st	5635	49.9%
2023	41.82	2902^nd	5617	48.3%
2024	40.78	2996^th	5605	46.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	22.50	1844^th	2128	13.3%
2019	41.03	1260^th	2585	51.3%
2022	36.80	1206^th	2227	45.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	67.90	1569^th	5431	71.1%
2019	59.05	1996^th	5510	63.8%
2022	33.14	3531^st	5663	37.6%
2023	34.84	3426^th	5650	39.4%
2024	42.82	2890^th	5636	48.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	78.30	762^nd	4830	84.2%
2019	70.68	1142^nd	4963	77.0%
2022	46.43	2424^th	5084	52.3%
2023	47.89	2367^th	5098	53.6%
2024	52.31	2104^th	5102	58.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Harry S. Truman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	64.32	1033^rd	2737	62.3%
2019	74.48	654^th	2834	76.9%
2022	31.55	1967^th	2726	27.8%
2023	41.08	1691^st	2662	36.5%
2024	45.77	1550^th	2647	41.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Harry S. Truman Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	292	35	8	234	4	n/a	n/a	0	573
1989	351	37	9	305	6	n/a	n/a	0	708
1990	434	42	10	342	9	n/a	n/a	0	837
1991	367	26	3	255	10	n/a	n/a	0	661
1992	764	35	11	454	30	n/a	n/a	0	1294
1993	741	23	23	462	16	n/a	n/a	0	1265
1994	704	20	21	521	10	n/a	n/a	0	1276
1995	690	35	18	642	10	n/a	n/a	0	1395
1996	690	35	18	642	10	n/a	n/a	0	1395
1997	495	29	15	405	8	n/a	n/a	0	952
1998	475	28	21	440	7	n/a	n/a	0	971
1999	490	26	18	467	7	n/a	n/a	0	1008
2000	483	24	15	508	6	n/a	n/a	0	1036
2001	473	30	15	544	5	n/a	n/a	0	1067
2002	430	25	16	597	3	n/a	n/a	7	1078
2003	430	25	16	597	3	n/a	n/a	7	1078
2004	419	21	10	622	2	n/a	n/a	56	1130
2005	401	25	8	617	3	n/a	n/a	81	1135
2006	280	12	10	448	0	n/a	n/a	69	819
2007	264	10	9	451	3	n/a	n/a	69	806
2008	235	10	8	482	4	n/a	n/a	0	739
2009	212	14	6	457	3	1	51	0	744
2010	194	12	11	458	4	0	3	0	682
2011	135	5	6	454	4	0	8	0	612
2012	124	5	8	453	4	1	16	0	611
2013	103	7	6	435	2	3	15	0	571
2014	90	5	8	416	3	3	8	0	533
2015	86	4	7	433	2	4	12	0	548
2016	62	5	8	422	1	2	14	0	514
2017	84	9	8	486	1	3	26	0	617
2018	100	9	10	506	0	2	45	0	672
2019	104	14	13	482	0	1	51	0	665
2020	118	17	12	487	0	2	56	0	692
2021	102	13	13	467	3	0	66	0	664
2022	90	21	10	476	4	0	62	0	663
2023	81	14	11	496	3	1	60	0	666
2024	72	12	9	484	4	0	63	0	644

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Harry S. Truman Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	573	22.0	26.0	n/a
1989	708	26.6	26.6	n/a
1990	837	29.9	27.9	n/a
1991	661	25.9	25.5	n/a
1992	1294	26.3	49.2	30.5
1993	1265	47.3	26.7	38.2
1994	1276	45.5	28.0	40.8
1995	1395	47.8	29.2	53.1
1996	1395	47.8	29.2	53.1
1997	952	34.0	28.0	77.8
1998	971	42.0	23.1	53.2
1999	1008	49.0	20.6	43.9
2000	1036	50.0	20.7	43
2001	1067	54.0	19.8	41.3
2002	1078	52.0	20.7	50.4
2003	1078	52.0	20.7	50.4
2004	1130	55.0	20.5	45.7
2005	1135	56.0	20.3	48.5
2006	819	42.6	19.2	50.3
2007	806	41.5	19.4	47.6
2008	739	44.0	16.8	57.1
2009	744	35.0	20.7	52.7
2010	682	30.0	22.7	58.1
2011	612	n/a	n/a	63.7
2012	611	23.0	26.5	99.5
2013	571	22.0	25.9	75.5
2014	533	19.0	28.0	64.9
2015	548	21.0	26.0	79
2016	514	22.0	23.3	76.7
2017	617	26.0	23.7	74.9
2018	672	26.0	25.8	76.2
2019	665	28.0	23.7	71.4
2020	692	n/a	n/a	76.9
2021	664	29.0	22.8	83.6
2022	663	28.0	23.6	83
2023	666	27.0	24.6	79.6
2024	644	25.0	25.7	80.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Harry S. Truman Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	573	22.0	26.0	n/a
1989	708	26.6	26.6	n/a
1990	837	29.9	27.9	n/a
1991	661	25.9	25.5	n/a
1992	1294	26.3	49.2	30.5
1993	1265	47.3	26.7	38.2
1994	1276	45.5	28.0	40.8
1995	1395	47.8	29.2	53.1
1996	1395	47.8	29.2	53.1
1997	952	34.0	28.0	77.8
1998	971	42.0	23.1	53.2
1999	1008	49.0	20.6	43.9
2000	1036	50.0	20.7	43
2001	1067	54.0	19.8	41.3
2002	1078	52.0	20.7	50.4
2003	1078	52.0	20.7	50.4
2004	1130	55.0	20.5	45.7
2005	1135	56.0	20.3	48.5
2006	819	42.6	19.2	50.3
2007	806	41.5	19.4	47.6
2008	739	44.0	16.8	57.1
2009	744	35.0	20.7	52.7
2010	682	30.0	22.7	58.1
2011	612	n/a	n/a	63.7
2012	611	23.0	26.5	99.5
2013	571	22.0	25.9	75.5
2014	533	19.0	28.0	64.9
2015	548	21.0	26.0	79
2016	514	22.0	23.3	76.7
2017	617	26.0	23.7	74.9
2018	672	26.0	25.8	76.2
2019	665	28.0	23.7	71.4
2020	692	n/a	n/a	76.9
2021	664	29.0	22.8	83.6
2022	663	28.0	23.6	83
2023	666	27.0	24.6	79.6
2024	644	25.0	25.7	80.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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