Is Westside Elementary a good school?

Westside Elementary ranks 4043 rd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Westside Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 336 students attended Westside Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Westside Elementary?

Students at Westside Elementary are 98% Hispanic, 1% White.

What schools do graduates of Westside Elementary attend?

Students who attend Westside Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High High : Coachella Valley High

Westside Elementary

Summary:

Westside Elementary is a public elementary school located in Thermal, California, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 361 students. The school is part of the Coachella Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 1332 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger.

Westside Elementary faces significant challenges, including a high chronic absenteeism rate of 49.1% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the district average of 41.7% at nearby Palm View Elementary. The school's test scores are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 30.46% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy in 2023-2024, compared to 47.04% statewide and 27.88% in the Coachella Valley Unified District. Additionally, Westside Elementary has an exceptionally high rate of free and reduced lunch recipients, reaching 91.41% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the district averages at Palm View Elementary and Peter Pendleton Elementary.

Despite these challenges, Westside Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 17.1 in 2022-2023, compared to the district averages of 21.9 at Palm View Elementary and 22.1 at Peter Pendleton Elementary. However, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of California elementary schools over the past decade, with its highest ranking being 1273 out of 1417 schools in 2020-2021. This suggests a persistent challenge in improving student outcomes, particularly for subgroups such as English Language Learners, Special Education students, and Low Socioeconomic Status students.

Detail:

Public K-6

82-225 Airport Blvd.
Thermal, CA 92274-9714

(760) 399-5171

District: Coachella Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4043^rd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,114

Students who attend Westside Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High
High:	Coachella Valley High

Student/teacher ratio: 19.5

Number of students: 336

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.9%

White:

1.2%

Asian:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Westside Elementary ranks worse than 69% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Coachella Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.68. (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 Westside Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Coachella Valley Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (97.9%), White (1.2%), American Indian (0.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 92% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Westside Elementary is 19.5, which is the 3^rd best among 14 elementary schools in the Coachella Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Westside Elementary employs 17.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Westside Elementary is $14,114, which is the 3^rd highest among 14 elementary schools in the Coachella Valley Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Westside Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Westside Elementary 4043^rd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Westside Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Coachella Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Coachella Valley Unified 1332^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Westside Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Westside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	10.09	4665^th	4809	3.0%
2005	6.40	4780^th	4822	0.9%
2006	14.86	4364^th	4818	9.4%
2007	22.64	4079^th	5113	20.2%
2008	19.89	4352^nd	5113	14.9%
2009	29.50	3740^th	5193	28.0%
2010	26.24	4131^st	5314	22.3%
2011	26.53	4217^th	5377	21.6%
2012	28.05	4081^st	5390	24.3%
2013	20.93	4671^st	5530	15.5%
2015	17.48	4884^th	5611	13.0%
2016	15.77	4982^nd	5614	11.3%
2017	13.90	5202^nd	5692	8.6%
2018	19.39	4733^rd	5662	16.4%
2019	19.34	4867^th	5789	15.9%
2021	15.70	1273^rd	1417	10.2%
2022	21.61	4683^rd	5883	20.4%
2023	13.39	5457^th	5874	7.1%
2024	28.68	4043^rd	5862	31.0%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Westside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.78	1951^st	3246	39.9%
2019	35.79	2070^th	3275	36.8%
2021	28.19	511^th	602	15.1%
2022	37.14	2028^th	3311	38.7%
2023	30.27	2513^th	3250	22.7%
2024	43.64	1575^th	3160	50.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Westside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	25.38	2091^st	2634	20.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Westside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.11	4042^nd	5084	20.5%
2019	23.96	4299^th	5173	16.9%
2021	22.29	959^th	1110	13.6%
2022	24.14	4316^th	5264	18.0%
2023	17.42	4880^th	5374	9.2%
2024	36.62	3393^rd	5511	38.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Westside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	19.36	4595^th	5413	15.1%
2019	20.42	4584^th	5492	16.5%
2021	19.70	1060^th	1267	16.3%
2022	21.96	4513^th	5635	19.9%
2023	13.17	5311^th	5617	5.4%
2024	25.97	4148^th	5605	26.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Westside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	20.28	1960^th	2128	7.9%
2019	37.27	1418^th	2585	45.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Westside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	21.23	4454^th	5431	18.0%
2019	19.08	4742^nd	5510	13.9%
2021	13.31	1191^st	1272	6.4%
2022	23.13	4419^th	5663	22.0%
2023	14.67	5198^th	5650	8.0%
2024	32.11	3633^rd	5636	35.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Westside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	27.30	3740^th	4830	22.6%
2019	26.31	3951^st	4963	20.4%
2022	29.97	3704^th	5084	27.1%
2023	17.01	4685^th	5098	8.1%
2024	38.72	3057^th	5102	40.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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 Westside Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	101	3	8	710	13	n/a	n/a	0	835
1989	106	6	12	735	11	n/a	n/a	0	870
1990	117	2	10	763	13	n/a	n/a	0	905
1991	119	3	7	790	33	n/a	n/a	0	952
1992	105	4	9	782	46	n/a	n/a	0	946
1993	81	4	9	769	40	n/a	n/a	0	903
1994	78	7	10	731	41	n/a	n/a	0	867
1995	49	1	2	674	37	n/a	n/a	0	763
1996	49	1	2	674	37	n/a	n/a	0	763
1997	43	2	2	692	37	n/a	n/a	0	776
1998	47	1	2	709	34	n/a	n/a	0	793
1999	39	5	3	749	35	n/a	n/a	0	831
2000	30	5	7	775	23	n/a	n/a	0	840
2001	15	2	9	592	15	n/a	n/a	0	633
2002	14	3	11	553	21	n/a	n/a	0	602
2003	14	3	11	553	21	n/a	n/a	0	602
2004	12	2	8	484	22	n/a	n/a	12	540
2005	18	3	2	557	13	n/a	n/a	6	599
2006	9	1	1	523	12	n/a	n/a	6	552
2007	14	2	2	531	11	n/a	n/a	8	568
2008	6	1	3	536	15	n/a	n/a	0	561
2009	10	2	4	620	13	0	13	0	662
2010	11	0	2	588	20	0	4	0	625
2011	8	1	1	594	21	0	3	0	628
2012	8	1	0	566	7	0	3	0	585
2013	6	1	0	571	5	0	0	0	583
2014	7	2	0	572	0	0	0	0	581
2015	9	1	0	549	1	0	0	0	560
2016	13	0	0	534	0	0	2	0	549
2017	10	0	1	527	1	0	0	0	539
2018	9	0	1	485	0	0	3	0	498
2019	8	2	2	448	0	0	2	0	462
2020	7	1	2	444	0	0	4	0	458
2021	8	0	3	404	0	0	1	0	416
2022	5	1	3	363	1	0	2	0	375
2023	3	0	2	352	2	0	2	0	361
2024	4	0	1	329	1	0	1	0	336

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 Westside Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	835	37.0	22.5	n/a
1989	870	35.0	24.8	n/a
1990	905	34.0	26.6	n/a
1991	952	35.0	27.2	n/a
1992	946	35.6	26.5	72
1993	903	30.0	30.1	75.6
1994	867	32.0	27.1	77.9
1995	763	31.0	24.6	81.8
1996	763	31.0	24.6	81.8
1997	776	31.0	25.0	84.8
1998	793	35.0	22.7	95
1999	831	34.0	24.4	74.7
2000	840	37.0	22.7	78.9
2001	633	28.0	22.6	83.6
2002	602	28.0	21.5	83.9
2003	602	28.0	21.5	83.9
2004	540	27.0	20.0	90.5
2005	599	30.0	20.0	80.6
2006	552	30.0	18.4	89.6
2007	568	31.0	18.3	93.2
2008	561	33.0	17.0	90
2009	662	34.0	18.4	75.5
2010	625	31.0	20.1	90.7
2011	628	n/a	n/a	90.3
2012	585	20.1	29.0	86.5
2013	583	21.1	27.5	45.3
2014	581	23.0	25.2	70.9
2015	560	24.0	23.3	93
2016	549	25.0	21.9	92.5
2017	539	27.1	19.8	93.7
2018	498	23.1	21.5	86.1
2019	462	22.0	21.0	90
2020	458	n/a	n/a	88.6
2021	416	21.1	19.7	90.9
2022	375	18.5	20.2	85.1
2023	361	20.9	17.1	91.4
2024	336	17.2	19.5	92

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 Westside Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	835	37.0	22.5	n/a
1989	870	35.0	24.8	n/a
1990	905	34.0	26.6	n/a
1991	952	35.0	27.2	n/a
1992	946	35.6	26.5	72
1993	903	30.0	30.1	75.6
1994	867	32.0	27.1	77.9
1995	763	31.0	24.6	81.8
1996	763	31.0	24.6	81.8
1997	776	31.0	25.0	84.8
1998	793	35.0	22.7	95
1999	831	34.0	24.4	74.7
2000	840	37.0	22.7	78.9
2001	633	28.0	22.6	83.6
2002	602	28.0	21.5	83.9
2003	602	28.0	21.5	83.9
2004	540	27.0	20.0	90.5
2005	599	30.0	20.0	80.6
2006	552	30.0	18.4	89.6
2007	568	31.0	18.3	93.2
2008	561	33.0	17.0	90
2009	662	34.0	18.4	75.5
2010	625	31.0	20.1	90.7
2011	628	n/a	n/a	90.3
2012	585	20.1	29.0	86.5
2013	583	21.1	27.5	45.3
2014	581	23.0	25.2	70.9
2015	560	24.0	23.3	93
2016	549	25.0	21.9	92.5
2017	539	27.1	19.8	93.7
2018	498	23.1	21.5	86.1
2019	462	22.0	21.0	90
2020	458	n/a	n/a	88.6
2021	416	21.1	19.7	90.9
2022	375	18.5	20.2	85.1
2023	361	20.9	17.1	91.4
2024	336	17.2	19.5	92

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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