Palm Desert Charter Middle

Summary:

Palm Desert Charter Middle is a public charter middle school serving 1,347 students in grades 6-8 in Palm Desert, California, which is part of the Desert Sands Unified School District.

Palm Desert Charter Middle consistently outperforms the district and the state of California in academic assessments, with 54.39% of its students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy compared to 39.07% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In mathematics, 40.28% of Palm Desert Charter Middle students were proficient or better, compared to 26.17% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school also has lower chronic absenteeism rates at 22.8% compared to 27.5% to 41.3% for other schools in the district. However, Palm Desert Charter Middle has a higher student-teacher ratio of 26.9 compared to 20 to 25.5 for nearby schools.

While Palm Desert Charter Middle outperforms other schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District, it still lags behind some of the higher-performing middle schools in the neighboring Coachella Valley Unified and Palm Springs Unified districts. The school performs particularly well for African American and Hispanic students but struggles with English Language Learners and students with disabilities. Overall, Palm Desert Charter Middle appears to be a strong-performing middle school within its district, with a focus on academic achievement and student engagement.


Detail:

Public, Charter 6-8

 74-200 Rutledge Way
       Palm Desert, CA  92260-2646


(760) 862-4320

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
716th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,712 Help


Students who attend Palm Desert Charter Middle usually attend:

High:    Palm Desert High

Feeder schools for Palm Desert Charter Middle:

Elementary:    Abraham Lincoln Elementary
    George Washington Charter
    Gerald R. Ford Elementary
    James Earl Carter Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  27.9 Help
Number of students:  1,389

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
51.3%
White:
33.9%
Two or more races:
6.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  62.8% Help


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 Compare Palm Desert Charter Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Palm Desert Charter Middle ranks better than 74.2% of middle schools in California. It also ranks first among 7 ranked middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.23. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Palm Desert Charter Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Desert Sands Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (51.3%), White (33.9%), two or more races (6.4%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 62.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palm Desert Charter Middle is 27.9, which is the highest among 7 middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Palm Desert Charter Middle employs 49.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palm Desert Charter Middle is $9,712, which is the 2nd highest among 7 middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Palm Desert Charter Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Palm Desert Charter Middle 716th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Palm Desert Charter Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle 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:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Desert Sands Unified:

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


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Your rating for Palm Desert Charter Middle?

Rank History for Palm Desert Charter Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 70.34 422nd 1769 76.1%
2005 69.49 450th 1777 74.7%
2006 75.41 370th 1804 79.5%
2007 72.85 431st 1999 78.4%
2008 72.33 442nd 2005 78.0%
2009 78.14 323rd 2063 84.3%
2010 76.66 383rd 2179 82.4%
2011 80.56 284th 2236 87.3%
2012 81.45 266th 2259 88.2%
2013 80.98 296th 2379 87.6%
2015 73.16 572nd 2477 76.9%
2016 73.22 591st 2497 76.3%
2017 73.12 597th 2508 76.2%
2018 69.71 649th 2480 73.8%
2019 73.62 624th 2715 77.0%
2022 70.78 670th 2740 75.5%
2023 70.29 677th 2802 75.8%
2024 68.23 716th 2777 74.2%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.12 287th 462 37.9%
2019 52.03 299th 554 46.0%
2022 55.26 296th 665 55.5%
2023 51.57 340th 678 49.9%
2024 42.02 413th 699 40.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.95 451st 1364 66.9%
2019 44.49 557th 1442 61.4%
2022 37.85 858th 1540 44.3%
2023 28.41 1333rd 1529 12.8%
2024 28.63 1307th 1477 11.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 38.13 823rd 1538 46.5%
2024 39.26 794th 1550 48.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.73 1200th 2230 46.2%
2019 62.37 676th 2369 71.5%
2022 65.17 617th 2458 74.9%
2023 68.85 542nd 2549 78.7%
2024 69.92 536th 2575 79.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 66.58 653rd 2262 71.1%
2019 71.34 594th 2380 75.0%
2022 69.37 621st 2509 75.2%
2023 69.23 639th 2547 74.9%
2024 64.43 736th 2546 71.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.44 712th 1369 48.0%
2019 37.43 802nd 1491 46.2%
2022 30.49 1044th 1531 31.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.35 581st 2273 74.4%
2019 72.81 561st 2407 76.7%
2022 70.55 608th 2527 75.9%
2023 69.24 633rd 2558 75.3%
2024 69.44 645th 2547 74.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.51 148th 700 78.9%
2019 66.54 289th 745 61.2%
2022 63.55 314th 733 57.2%
2023 52.71 394th 718 45.1%
2024 54.58 399th 741 46.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 99.91 2nd 626 99.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.54 675th 2072 67.4%
2019 65.63 576th 2213 74.0%
2022 65.66 593rd 2359 74.9%
2023 61.72 691st 2391 71.1%
2024 63.71 641st 2383 73.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Palm Desert Charter Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.01 476th 1496 68.2%
2019 69.87 451st 1602 71.8%
2022 65.30 497th 1555 68.0%
2023 69.47 429th 1552 72.4%
2024 62.60 540th 1535 64.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle 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.

Palm Desert Charter Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

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Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Open Quote I'm so proud of pdcms my daughter Attends school there. It has taught her so much the teachers are caring for all students I recomemner everyone to come to this school. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Palm Desert Charter Middle

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 640 8 30 134 13 n/a n/a 0 825
1989 676 6 19 142 8 n/a n/a 0 851
1990 706 5 25 144 9 n/a n/a 0 889
1991 761 4 27 157 5 n/a n/a 0 954
1992 844 4 25 182 9 n/a n/a 0 1064
1993 853 6 30 196 7 n/a n/a 0 1092
1994 799 5 37 239 8 n/a n/a 0 1088
1995 800 14 43 247 11 n/a n/a 0 1115
1996 800 14 43 247 11 n/a n/a 0 1115
1997 813 11 38 286 8 n/a n/a 0 1156
1998 802 20 52 280 10 n/a n/a 0 1164
1999 875 14 55 313 10 n/a n/a 0 1267
2000 846 19 54 316 9 n/a n/a 0 1244
2001 805 23 47 323 7 n/a n/a 0 1205
2002 741 26 37 370 10 n/a n/a 10 1194
2003 741 26 37 370 10 n/a n/a 10 1194
2004 785 27 37 399 7 n/a n/a 42 1297
2005 784 27 43 422 9 n/a n/a 81 1366
2006 751 26 58 464 5 n/a n/a 107 1411
2007 606 32 59 427 6 n/a n/a 64 1194
2008 598 36 55 441 8 n/a n/a 0 1138
2009 604 34 59 473 12 5 64 0 1251
2010 617 30 58 523 8 4 25 0 1265
2011 593 23 65 545 7 1 28 0 1262
2012 601 20 72 565 4 2 35 0 1299
2013 621 18 67 587 1 2 43 0 1339
2014 588 15 78 603 3 1 52 0 1340
2015 608 27 70 641 3 1 57 0 1407
2016 594 29 83 640 4 2 59 0 1411
2017 586 21 83 656 0 6 60 0 1412
2018 548 12 91 698 0 3 56 0 1408
2019 559 21 96 682 1 2 57 0 1418
2020 518 23 100 705 1 1 57 1 1406
2021 516 22 102 670 2 1 59 0 1372
2022 460 23 102 643 2 2 66 0 1298
2023 482 26 94 670 4 2 69 0 1347
2024 471 26 83 713 3 4 89 0 1389

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 Palm Desert Charter Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 825 34.0 24.2 n/a
1989 851 36.0 23.6 n/a
1990 889 34.6 25.6 n/a
1991 954 41.3 23.0 n/a
1992 1064 42.0 25.3 13.6
1993 1092 44.0 24.8 19.8
1994 1088 42.9 25.4 22.2
1995 1115 43.0 25.9 18.8
1996 1115 43.0 25.9 18.8
1997 1156 44.3 26.1 18.2
1998 1164 45.0 25.9 18
1999 1267 48.2 26.3 29.4
2000 1244 48.5 25.6 26.4
2001 1205 50.7 23.8 28.5
2002 1194 47.6 25.1 34.6
2003 1194 47.6 25.1 34.6
2004 1297 53.9 24.1 33
2005 1366 54.1 25.2 32
2006 1411 62.0 22.8 34.2
2007 1194 38.7 30.9 34.5
2008 1138 54.8 20.8 42.4
2009 1251 55.7 20.6 38.1
2010 1265 47.2 26.8 38.3
2011 1262 n/a n/a 41.6
2012 1299 46.2 28.1 n/a
2013 1339 45.2 29.6 48.1
2014 1340 46.5 28.7 48.2
2015 1407 48.0 29.3 47.3
2016 1411 53.0 26.6 45
2017 1412 54.2 26.0 47.2
2018 1408 53.7 26.2 50.1
2019 1418 52.8 26.8 47.3
2020 1406 n/a n/a 51.6
2021 1372 51.0 26.9 46.1
2022 1298 51.0 25.4 58.9
2023 1347 49.9 26.9 60.3
2024 1389 49.6 27.9 62.8

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 Palm Desert Charter Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 825 34.0 24.2 n/a
1989 851 36.0 23.6 n/a
1990 889 34.6 25.6 n/a
1991 954 41.3 23.0 n/a
1992 1064 42.0 25.3 13.6
1993 1092 44.0 24.8 19.8
1994 1088 42.9 25.4 22.2
1995 1115 43.0 25.9 18.8
1996 1115 43.0 25.9 18.8
1997 1156 44.3 26.1 18.2
1998 1164 45.0 25.9 18
1999 1267 48.2 26.3 29.4
2000 1244 48.5 25.6 26.4
2001 1205 50.7 23.8 28.5
2002 1194 47.6 25.1 34.6
2003 1194 47.6 25.1 34.6
2004 1297 53.9 24.1 33
2005 1366 54.1 25.2 32
2006 1411 62.0 22.8 34.2
2007 1194 38.7 30.9 34.5
2008 1138 54.8 20.8 42.4
2009 1251 55.7 20.6 38.1
2010 1265 47.2 26.8 38.3
2011 1262 n/a n/a 41.6
2012 1299 46.2 28.1 n/a
2013 1339 45.2 29.6 48.1
2014 1340 46.5 28.7 48.2
2015 1407 48.0 29.3 47.3
2016 1411 53.0 26.6 45
2017 1412 54.2 26.0 47.2
2018 1408 53.7 26.2 50.1
2019 1418 52.8 26.8 47.3
2020 1406 n/a n/a 51.6
2021 1372 51.0 26.9 46.1
2022 1298 51.0 25.4 58.9
2023 1347 49.9 26.9 60.3
2024 1389 49.6 27.9 62.8

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Palm Desert Charter Middle

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $9,712

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Palm Desert Charter Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 624th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 677th of 2802 Middle schools
 1.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Desert Charter Middle)60.949.1
 11.7%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)42.632.6
 9.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Palm Desert Charter Middle)48.337.7
 10.6%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)32.523.5
 9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Desert Charter Middle)66.762.4
 4.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)46.241.4
 4.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Palm Desert Charter Middle)42.938.6
 4.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)29.424
 5.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Desert Charter Middle)63.955.5
 8.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)46.235.7
 10.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Palm Desert Charter Middle)46.139.2
 6.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)28.221.4
 6.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Palm Desert Charter Middle)39.740.9
 1.2%
   8th Grade Science (Desert Sands Unified)22.822.7
 0.1%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students14181347
 5%
African American2126
 23.8%
American Indian14
 300%
Asian9694
 2.1%
Hispanic682670
 1.8%
Pacific Islander22
White559482
 13.8%
Two or More Races5769
 21.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients47.3%60.3%
 13%


Schools Near Palm Desert Charter Middle









Frequently Asked Questions about Palm Desert Charter Middle

Palm Desert Charter Middle ranks 716th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,389 students attended Palm Desert Charter Middle.

Students who attend Palm Desert Charter Middle usually go on to attend Palm Desert High

Students at Palm Desert Charter Middle are 51% Hispanic, 34% White, 6% Two or more races, 6% Asian, 2% African American.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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