Is James Earl Carter Elementary a good school?

James Earl Carter Elementary ranks 1341 st of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James Earl Carter Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 517 students attended James Earl Carter Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of James Earl Carter Elementary?

Students at James Earl Carter Elementary are 48% Hispanic, 30% White, 10% Two or more races, 9% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of James Earl Carter Elementary attend?

Students who attend James Earl Carter Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle Middle : Palm Desert Charter Middle High : Palm Desert High

James Earl Carter Elementary

Summary:

James Earl Carter Elementary is a public elementary school located in Palm Desert, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 516 students. This high-performing school is part of the Desert Sands Unified School District, which is ranked 1011 out of 1568 districts in the state.

James Earl Carter Elementary consistently ranks in the top 25% of California elementary schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school outperforms the district and the state in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 63.18% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 39.07% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, 51.05% of students were proficient or better, compared to 26.17% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school also performs exceptionally well for certain student subgroups, such as Asian students and English Language Learners.

Compared to nearby schools, James Earl Carter Elementary outperforms most of the other schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District, as well as schools in the Palm Springs Unified School District. Despite having a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, the school's academic performance remains strong, suggesting effective strategies in supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, the school's student-teacher ratio of 22.4 is lower than the nearby schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District, which may contribute to its academic success.

Detail:

Public K-5

74-251 Hovley Ln. East
Palm Desert, CA 92260-1700

(760) 862-4370

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1341^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,866

Students who attend James Earl Carter Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle
	Palm Desert Charter Middle
High:	Palm Desert High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.4

Number of students: 517

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.2%

White:

30.2%

Two or more races:

10.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare James Earl Carter Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James Earl Carter Elementary ranks better than 77.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 18 ranked elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.7. (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 (48.2%), White (30.2%), two or more races (10.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 56.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Earl Carter Elementary is 22.4, which is the 5^th best among 18 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare James Earl Carter Elementary employs 23 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Earl Carter Elementary is $6,866. 17 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James Earl Carter Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks James Earl Carter Elementary 1341^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See James Earl Carter Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

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.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for James Earl Carter Elementary

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Rank History for all students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	88.09	589^th	4809	87.8%
2005	85.25	716^th	4822	85.2%
2006	85.47	712^th	4818	85.2%
2007	87.00	671^st	5113	86.9%
2008	85.30	741^st	5113	85.5%
2009	88.89	538^th	5193	89.6%
2010	89.91	445^th	5314	91.6%
2011	83.90	789^th	5377	85.3%
2012	82.75	868^th	5390	83.9%
2013	81.80	962^nd	5530	82.6%
2015	86.06	820^th	5611	85.4%
2016	83.27	990^th	5614	82.4%
2017	83.29	989^th	5692	82.6%
2018	82.01	1032^nd	5662	81.8%
2019	80.99	1124^th	5789	80.6%
2022	77.64	1301^st	5883	77.9%
2023	79.78	1178^th	5874	79.9%
2024	75.70	1341^st	5862	77.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	77.25	402^nd	3246	87.6%
2019	88.44	192^nd	3275	94.1%
2022	76.87	349^th	3311	89.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.07	281^st	5084	94.5%
2019	82.68	594^th	5173	88.5%
2022	83.04	634^th	5264	88.0%
2023	83.83	628^th	5374	88.3%
2024	80.29	814^th	5511	85.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	80.74	999^th	5413	81.5%
2019	76.45	1239^th	5492	77.4%
2022	75.46	1302^nd	5635	76.9%
2023	79.31	1125^th	5617	80.0%
2024	72.49	1380^th	5605	75.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	51.40	942^nd	2585	63.6%
2022	71.06	403^rd	2227	81.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	80.15	1047^th	5431	80.7%
2019	82.49	935^th	5510	83.0%
2022	77.03	1241^st	5663	78.1%
2023	77.30	1209^th	5650	78.6%
2024	74.89	1281^st	5636	77.3%

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

Rank History for Asian students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	83.58	54^th	1149	95.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	82.45	585^th	4830	87.9%
2019	80.31	697^th	4963	86.0%
2022	76.46	884^th	5084	82.6%
2023	85.20	541^st	5098	89.4%
2024	82.75	624^th	5102	87.8%

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

Rank History for White students at James Earl Carter Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	69.56	842^nd	2737	69.2%
2019	64.90	1030^th	2834	63.7%
2022	73.25	689^th	2726	74.7%
2023	58.43	1179^th	2662	55.7%
2024	49.56	1422^nd	2647	46.3%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.7)

67%

33%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Sunday, October 6, 2019

The teachers are passionate, caring, and hard working. The students are happy, and love coming to school. Close Quote

by a citizen
Wednesday, March 15, 2017

I live in Colorado. I have never been to this school, but I just read about an incident that has been going on with a 2nd grade student and bullying. I am totally unimpressed by the way this school, in particular the Principal, has handled this situation. I am a school nurse and every child who walks through my door has a detailed report of their complaint, how I treated them and if I phoned parents.
The fact that a child can be injured at school, over and over, and nothing is done is APPALLING.
This is the job of the Principal, to be ever vigilant about the safety of his students. What a poor example he is to the community and other schools. Close Quote

Enrollment information for James Earl Carter Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1997	279	12	6	38	5	n/a	n/a	0	340
1998	389	14	17	119	8	n/a	n/a	0	547
1999	439	18	17	129	6	n/a	n/a	0	609
2000	464	19	18	163	2	n/a	n/a	0	666
2001	485	16	23	166	3	n/a	n/a	0	693
2002	420	7	26	120	3	n/a	n/a	37	613
2003	420	7	26	120	3	n/a	n/a	37	613
2004	428	9	36	128	6	n/a	n/a	121	728
2005	407	11	41	188	7	n/a	n/a	110	764
2006	382	12	53	198	7	n/a	n/a	94	746
2007	311	13	41	215	5	n/a	n/a	51	636
2008	291	10	49	215	3	n/a	n/a	0	568
2009	291	13	52	224	3	4	39	0	626
2010	286	10	57	255	2	4	27	0	641
2011	262	9	56	267	2	3	32	0	631
2012	268	10	48	287	1	2	32	0	648
2013	274	13	65	286	0	2	28	0	668
2014	284	12	67	295	0	2	24	0	684
2015	256	10	66	306	1	3	33	0	675
2016	257	10	70	312	0	1	30	0	680
2017	252	10	76	302	1	2	40	0	683
2018	246	8	70	302	0	2	35	0	663
2019	215	9	59	295	0	2	38	0	618
2020	206	14	53	269	0	2	41	0	585
2021	189	12	44	262	0	2	42	0	551
2022	170	12	39	245	0	2	60	0	528
2023	158	9	42	251	0	3	53	0	516
2024	156	10	46	249	1	3	52	0	517

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 James Earl Carter Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	340	14.0	24.3	26.2
1998	547	24.5	22.3	16.3
1999	609	30.0	20.3	28.4
2000	666	31.0	21.5	29
2001	693	34.0	20.4	21.8
2002	613	30.0	20.4	24
2003	613	30.0	20.4	24
2004	728	32.0	22.8	24.9
2005	764	36.0	21.2	34.7
2006	746	35.0	21.3	31.9
2007	636	31.0	20.5	34
2008	568	32.0	17.8	40
2009	626	28.2	21.4	35.8
2010	641	27.0	23.7	42.7
2011	631	n/a	n/a	43.4
2012	648	27.0	24.0	n/a
2013	668	26.0	25.6	53.7
2014	684	26.0	26.3	40.1
2015	675	28.0	24.1	51.7
2016	680	28.0	24.2	49.9
2017	683	28.0	24.3	51.4
2018	663	29.0	22.8	56.6
2019	618	26.5	23.3	56.3
2020	585	n/a	n/a	58.6
2021	551	27.0	20.4	57.4
2022	528	25.0	21.1	60.2
2023	516	23.0	22.4	53.1
2024	517	23.0	22.4	56.3

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 James Earl Carter Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	340	14.0	24.3	26.2
1998	547	24.5	22.3	16.3
1999	609	30.0	20.3	28.4
2000	666	31.0	21.5	29
2001	693	34.0	20.4	21.8
2002	613	30.0	20.4	24
2003	613	30.0	20.4	24
2004	728	32.0	22.8	24.9
2005	764	36.0	21.2	34.7
2006	746	35.0	21.3	31.9
2007	636	31.0	20.5	34
2008	568	32.0	17.8	40
2009	626	28.2	21.4	35.8
2010	641	27.0	23.7	42.7
2011	631	n/a	n/a	43.4
2012	648	27.0	24.0	n/a
2013	668	26.0	25.6	53.7
2014	684	26.0	26.3	40.1
2015	675	28.0	24.1	51.7
2016	680	28.0	24.2	49.9
2017	683	28.0	24.3	51.4
2018	663	29.0	22.8	56.6
2019	618	26.5	23.3	56.3
2020	585	n/a	n/a	58.6
2021	551	27.0	20.4	57.4
2022	528	25.0	21.1	60.2
2023	516	23.0	22.4	53.1
2024	517	23.0	22.4	56.3

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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