La Quinta Middle

Summary:

La Quinta Middle is a public middle school in La Quinta, CA, serving 754 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Desert Sands Unified School District. The school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism, low test scores, and uneven performance across student subgroups.

La Quinta Middle's test scores are generally below the district and state averages, with only 34.2% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and just 20.26% proficient in Mathematics. The school's performance varies greatly by student subgroup, with White students and English Language Learners struggling the most. In contrast, the nearby Palm Desert Charter Middle School significantly outperforms La Quinta Middle across all subject areas and grade levels.

The school's high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 37.6% to 41.3%, are also a major concern. Additionally, La Quinta Middle has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, which may contribute to its academic challenges. While the school's struggles are not unique to the region, the stark contrast with the high-performing Palm Desert Charter Middle suggests that targeted interventions and resource allocation could help improve outcomes for La Quinta Middle students.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 78-900 Avenue 50
       La Quinta, CA  92253-2400


(760) 777-4220

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1779th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,035 Help


Students who attend La Quinta Middle usually attend:

High:    Palm Desert High

Feeder schools for La Quinta Middle:

Elementary:    Abraham Lincoln Elementary
    Benjamin Franklin Elementary
    George Washington Charter
    Gerald R. Ford Elementary
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  22.2 Help
Number of students:  688

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
76.2%
White:
14.7%
Two or more races:
6.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  84.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details La Quinta Middle ranks worse than 64.1% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 3rd among 7 ranked middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.68. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (76.2%), White (14.7%), two or more races (6.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 84.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at La Quinta Middle is 22.2, which is the 2nd best among 7 middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare La Quinta Middle employs 30.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Quinta Middle is $8,035, which is the 3rd highest among 7 middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

La Quinta Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks La Quinta Middle 1779th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See La Quinta 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:
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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Rank History for La Quinta Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 34.86 1083rd 1769 38.8%
2005 32.72 1158th 1777 34.8%
2006 29.59 1255th 1804 30.4%
2007 30.35 1379th 1999 31.0%
2008 36.78 1253rd 2005 37.5%
2009 33.69 1371st 2063 33.5%
2010 33.30 1491st 2179 31.6%
2011 26.81 1730th 2236 22.6%
2012 39.99 1359th 2259 39.8%
2013 64.41 767th 2379 67.8%
2015 34.35 1491st 2477 39.8%
2016 34.86 1493rd 2497 40.2%
2017 28.39 1715th 2508 31.6%
2018 27.19 1747th 2480 29.6%
2019 36.00 1578th 2715 41.9%
2022 37.70 1537th 2740 43.9%
2023 32.72 1712th 2802 38.9%
2024 30.68 1779th 2777 35.9%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 27.74 514th 699 26.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.63 969th 1364 29.0%
2019 41.03 652nd 1442 54.8%
2022 43.65 637th 1540 58.6%
2023 31.10 1168th 1529 23.6%
2024 27.51 1356th 1477 8.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.37 1206th 1538 21.6%
2024 25.33 1261st 1550 18.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.68 1665th 2230 25.3%
2019 41.98 1271st 2369 46.3%
2022 36.23 1470th 2458 40.2%
2023 37.54 1443rd 2549 43.4%
2024 31.97 1693rd 2575 34.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.97 1571st 2262 30.5%
2019 39.20 1335th 2380 43.9%
2022 36.62 1445th 2509 42.4%
2023 35.64 1459th 2547 42.7%
2024 29.45 1692nd 2546 33.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.72 1060th 1369 22.6%
2019 26.27 1156th 1491 22.5%
2022 22.90 1344th 1531 12.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.95 1652nd 2273 27.3%
2019 31.94 1551st 2407 35.6%
2022 38.82 1381st 2527 45.4%
2023 30.81 1633rd 2558 36.2%
2024 31.46 1629th 2547 36.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.52 1540th 2072 25.7%
2019 44.75 1102nd 2213 50.2%
2022 41.92 1230th 2359 47.9%
2023 36.35 1401st 2391 41.4%
2024 33.65 1504th 2383 36.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at La Quinta Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.78 764th 1496 48.9%
2019 28.53 1157th 1602 27.8%
2022 53.46 706th 1555 54.6%
2023 36.53 977th 1552 37.0%
2024 37.48 931st 1535 39.3%
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.

La Quinta Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for La Quinta Middle

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 233 25 8 214 3 n/a n/a 0 483
1990 297 31 8 254 8 n/a n/a 0 598
1991 396 38 8 286 9 n/a n/a 0 737
1992 443 44 9 347 12 n/a n/a 0 855
1993 485 44 11 346 8 n/a n/a 0 894
1994 490 34 11 392 9 n/a n/a 0 936
1995 554 31 13 482 5 n/a n/a 0 1085
1996 554 31 13 482 5 n/a n/a 0 1085
1997 575 44 15 527 8 n/a n/a 0 1169
1998 595 53 15 549 10 n/a n/a 0 1222
1999 624 48 21 564 8 n/a n/a 0 1265
2000 671 46 23 582 8 n/a n/a 0 1330
2001 709 44 25 648 10 n/a n/a 0 1436
2002 359 30 14 498 7 n/a n/a 3 911
2003 359 30 14 498 7 n/a n/a 3 911
2004 311 28 8 522 7 n/a n/a 44 920
2005 302 26 11 564 2 n/a n/a 35 940
2006 287 29 17 606 6 n/a n/a 40 985
2007 243 29 20 567 3 n/a n/a 40 902
2008 224 23 12 591 5 n/a n/a 0 855
2009 185 17 4 526 3 0 9 0 744
2010 184 17 8 560 5 0 3 0 777
2011 134 15 12 508 3 0 5 0 677
2012 101 16 14 473 2 0 8 0 614
2013 74 15 12 465 2 0 12 0 580
2014 54 11 5 421 1 1 14 0 507
2015 54 8 4 451 2 1 17 0 537
2016 48 9 2 348 1 0 17 0 425
2017 59 10 2 398 2 0 12 0 483
2018 81 12 6 446 1 1 16 0 563
2019 85 10 7 578 1 1 20 0 702
2020 98 17 8 607 3 0 23 0 756
2021 97 21 10 597 2 0 29 0 756
2022 99 22 10 555 2 1 30 0 719
2023 112 13 11 584 1 0 33 0 754
2024 101 13 6 524 2 0 42 0 688

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 La Quinta Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 483 17.9 26.9 n/a
1990 598 25.1 23.8 n/a
1991 737 31.4 23.4 n/a
1992 855 31.9 26.8 29.1
1993 894 38.0 23.5 32.8
1994 936 37.6 24.9 36.3
1995 1085 39.8 27.3 47.4
1996 1085 39.8 27.3 47.4
1997 1169 45.2 25.9 44
1998 1222 48.8 25.0 42.1
1999 1265 48.6 26.0 43.6
2000 1330 49.6 26.8 40.8
2001 1436 59.0 24.3 39.6
2002 911 38.4 23.7 53.7
2003 911 38.4 23.7 53.7
2004 920 37.2 24.7 49.9
2005 940 37.0 25.4 43.9
2006 985 41.4 23.8 48.7
2007 902 32.3 27.9 49.5
2008 855 36.9 23.2 61.8
2009 744 34.4 19.4 63.8
2010 777 31.0 25.0 66.8
2011 677 n/a n/a 68.1
2012 614 22.7 27.0 n/a
2013 580 21.8 26.6 83.6
2014 507 19.8 25.5 81.1
2015 537 18.0 29.8 83.4
2016 425 21.0 20.2 83.8
2017 483 21.1 22.8 84.7
2018 563 23.1 24.3 81.2
2019 702 26.1 26.8 82.8
2020 756 n/a n/a 88.6
2021 756 28.7 26.2 87
2022 719 29.9 24.0 82.1
2023 754 31.9 23.5 82.8
2024 688 30.9 22.2 84.4

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 La Quinta Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 483 17.9 26.9 n/a
1990 598 25.1 23.8 n/a
1991 737 31.4 23.4 n/a
1992 855 31.9 26.8 29.1
1993 894 38.0 23.5 32.8
1994 936 37.6 24.9 36.3
1995 1085 39.8 27.3 47.4
1996 1085 39.8 27.3 47.4
1997 1169 45.2 25.9 44
1998 1222 48.8 25.0 42.1
1999 1265 48.6 26.0 43.6
2000 1330 49.6 26.8 40.8
2001 1436 59.0 24.3 39.6
2002 911 38.4 23.7 53.7
2003 911 38.4 23.7 53.7
2004 920 37.2 24.7 49.9
2005 940 37.0 25.4 43.9
2006 985 41.4 23.8 48.7
2007 902 32.3 27.9 49.5
2008 855 36.9 23.2 61.8
2009 744 34.4 19.4 63.8
2010 777 31.0 25.0 66.8
2011 677 n/a n/a 68.1
2012 614 22.7 27.0 n/a
2013 580 21.8 26.6 83.6
2014 507 19.8 25.5 81.1
2015 537 18.0 29.8 83.4
2016 425 21.0 20.2 83.8
2017 483 21.1 22.8 84.7
2018 563 23.1 24.3 81.2
2019 702 26.1 26.8 82.8
2020 756 n/a n/a 88.6
2021 756 28.7 26.2 87
2022 719 29.9 24.0 82.1
2023 754 31.9 23.5 82.8
2024 688 30.9 22.2 84.4

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 La Quinta Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $8,035

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

Impact of COVID-19 on La Quinta 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 1578th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 1712th of 2802 Middle schools
 3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (La Quinta Middle)42.632.9
 9.7%
   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 (La Quinta Middle)35.529.2
 6.3%
   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 (La Quinta Middle)38.340.4
 2.1%
   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 (La Quinta Middle)32.326.2
 6.1%
   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 (La Quinta Middle)40.724.3
 16.4%
   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 (La Quinta Middle)18.314.9
 3.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)28.221.4
 6.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (La Quinta Middle)17.816.5
 1.3%
   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 Students702754
 7.4%
African American1013
 30%
American Indian11
Asian711
 57.1%
Hispanic578584
 1%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White85112
 31.8%
Two or More Races2033
 65%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients82.8%82.8%
 0%


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Frequently Asked Questions about La Quinta Middle

La Quinta Middle ranks 1779th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 688 students attended La Quinta Middle.

Students who attend La Quinta Middle usually go on to attend Palm Desert High

Students at La Quinta Middle are 76% Hispanic, 15% White, 6% Two or more races, 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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