Is James Monroe Elementary a good school?

James Monroe Elementary ranks 1422 nd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James Monroe Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 537 students attended James Monroe Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of James Monroe Elementary?

Students at James Monroe Elementary are 66% Hispanic, 23% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% African American, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of James Monroe Elementary attend?

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

James Monroe Elementary

Summary:

James Monroe Elementary is a public elementary school located in Bermuda Dunes, California, serving 581 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Desert Sands Unified School District, which is ranked 1011 out of 1568 school districts in the state.

James Monroe Elementary consistently ranks in the top 30% of California elementary schools, with strong academic performance that exceeds the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, 57.48% 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, 60.47% 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 Hispanic and English Language Learner students, ranking in the top 15% of California elementary schools in these subgroups.

While James Monroe Elementary outperforms nearby schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.6% in 2018-2019 to 36.5% in 2021-2022. Additionally, the school's ranking has declined from the top 10% of California elementary schools in 2017-2018 to the top 30% in recent years, which may be due to factors such as the increase in chronic absenteeism or changes in the student population. Despite these challenges, the school's academic performance remains strong, particularly for its disadvantaged student population, with 63.68% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Detail:

Public K-5

42-100 Yucca Ln.
Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203-8100

(760) 772-4130

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1422^nd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,250

Students who attend James Monroe Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle
High:	Palm Desert High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.8

Number of students: 537

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.5%

White:

23.5%

Two or more races:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare James Monroe Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James Monroe Elementary ranks better than 75.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 4^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 73.64. (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 (65.5%), White (23.5%), two or more races (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Monroe Elementary is 23.8. 13 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare James Monroe Elementary employs 22.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Monroe Elementary is $8,250, which is the 8^th highest among 18 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James Monroe Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks James Monroe Elementary 1422^nd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See James Monroe Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

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.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for James Monroe Elementary

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Rank History for all students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	43.71	2470^th	4809	48.6%
2005	48.66	2264^th	4822	53.0%
2006	52.33	2082^nd	4818	56.8%
2007	67.16	1506^th	5113	70.5%
2008	68.54	1472^nd	5113	71.2%
2009	59.18	1959^th	5193	62.3%
2010	62.88	1835^th	5314	65.5%
2011	67.45	1610^th	5377	70.1%
2012	71.10	1463^rd	5390	72.9%
2013	70.25	1563^rd	5530	71.7%
2015	70.65	1467^th	5611	73.9%
2016	87.90	739^th	5614	86.8%
2017	91.90	524^th	5692	90.8%
2018	93.17	435^th	5662	92.3%
2019	93.01	440^th	5789	92.4%
2022	76.11	1353^rd	5883	77.0%
2023	66.31	1743^rd	5874	70.3%
2024	73.64	1422^nd	5862	75.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	97.76	61^st	3311	98.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.06	1217^th	2420	49.7%
2024	39.63	1344^th	2634	49.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	95.46	114^th	5084	97.8%
2019	95.39	130^th	5173	97.5%
2022	80.74	732^nd	5264	86.1%
2023	67.26	1379^th	5374	74.3%
2024	77.28	958^th	5511	82.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.70	533^rd	5413	90.2%
2019	90.58	524^th	5492	90.5%
2022	75.21	1313^th	5635	76.7%
2023	63.09	1802^nd	5617	67.9%
2024	71.32	1431^st	5605	74.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	74.85	346^th	2128	83.7%
2019	79.81	333^rd	2585	87.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	93.05	388^th	5431	92.9%
2019	92.72	398^th	5510	92.8%
2022	74.30	1341^st	5663	76.3%
2023	67.46	1614^th	5650	71.4%
2024	72.73	1376^th	5636	75.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	95.47	118^th	4830	97.6%
2019	97.47	74^th	4963	98.5%
2022	86.20	498^th	5084	90.2%
2023	66.77	1326^th	5098	74.0%
2024	78.55	774^th	5102	84.8%

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

Rank History for White students at James Monroe Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	91.27	70^th	2737	97.4%
2019	89.22	117^th	2834	95.9%
2022	60.78	1134^th	2726	58.4%
2023	61.23	1073^rd	2662	59.7%
2024	71.93	747^th	2647	71.8%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a principal
Wednesday, October 7, 2020

James Monroe in Bermuda Dunes is very under rated. In both 2018 & 2020 Monroe earned a California Distinguished School Award (one of 323 schools in California's 5,887 schools) - the only school to do so two years in a row in the Coachella Valley (three different school districts). Most recently Monroe also earned the highest educational recognition by the US Department of Education and named a National Blue Ribbon School - Again the ONLY school in the Coachella Valley (one of only 36 in the State of California and one of only 400 schools in the United States). Monroe is a designated Title one school. Great teachers, supportive families, great PTO and administration. Proud to support the classified and certificated employees and the caring community that makes up this great school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for James Monroe Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	255	9	8	121	1	n/a	n/a	0	394
1992	306	37	6	197	1	n/a	n/a	0	547
1993	316	37	8	205	1	n/a	n/a	0	567
1994	334	39	6	248	2	n/a	n/a	0	629
1995	327	21	8	326	1	n/a	n/a	0	683
1996	327	21	8	326	1	n/a	n/a	0	683
1997	293	20	6	285	3	n/a	n/a	0	607
1998	304	22	5	323	2	n/a	n/a	0	656
1999	299	21	8	358	1	n/a	n/a	0	687
2000	280	23	7	347	1	n/a	n/a	0	658
2001	304	19	6	388	1	n/a	n/a	0	718
2002	287	18	12	387	2	n/a	n/a	1	707
2003	287	18	12	387	2	n/a	n/a	1	707
2004	267	21	17	384	2	n/a	n/a	22	713
2005	275	21	14	398	3	n/a	n/a	20	731
2006	262	16	16	373	2	n/a	n/a	21	690
2007	237	15	16	242	2	n/a	n/a	16	528
2008	226	17	14	257	1	n/a	n/a	0	515
2009	221	20	12	279	1	1	7	0	541
2010	243	20	17	294	0	3	4	0	581
2011	214	17	21	302	0	2	4	0	560
2012	240	16	20	287	0	3	10	0	576
2013	232	22	17	296	0	2	11	0	580
2014	230	29	14	319	1	3	7	0	603
2015	210	23	17	316	2	3	11	0	582
2016	199	18	16	326	4	3	14	0	580
2017	239	24	15	340	4	3	32	0	657
2018	224	24	15	364	3	1	29	0	660
2019	226	22	22	387	6	1	32	0	696
2020	218	18	17	394	4	1	33	0	685
2021	180	17	15	383	4	0	36	0	635
2022	171	11	15	347	8	0	34	0	586
2023	154	11	18	358	8	0	32	0	581
2024	126	7	17	352	7	0	28	0	537

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 Monroe Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	394	14.0	28.1	n/a
1992	547	14.2	38.5	33.3
1993	567	18.5	30.6	35.4
1994	629	22.0	28.6	40.2
1995	683	25.5	26.8	49.2
1996	683	25.5	26.8	49.2
1997	607	25.7	23.6	55.4
1998	656	27.5	23.9	49.1
1999	687	33.0	20.8	45.1
2000	658	36.0	18.3	48.6
2001	718	38.0	18.9	49.7
2002	707	36.0	19.6	46.5
2003	707	36.0	19.6	46.5
2004	713	36.0	19.8	48.6
2005	731	38.5	19.0	48.8
2006	690	37.0	18.6	49.2
2007	528	27.5	19.2	39.5
2008	515	30.5	16.9	50.3
2009	541	28.5	17.7	48.1
2010	581	26.0	22.3	47.3
2011	560	n/a	n/a	58
2012	576	23.0	25.0	n/a
2013	580	23.0	25.2	62.2
2014	603	21.0	28.7	47.3
2015	582	23.0	25.3	58.1
2016	580	25.0	23.2	56.9
2017	657	26.0	25.2	52.7
2018	660	28.0	23.5	51.8
2019	696	28.3	24.5	47.6
2020	685	n/a	n/a	56.1
2021	635	28.5	22.2	53.7
2022	586	26.0	22.5	63.7
2023	581	24.0	24.2	63.7
2024	537	22.5	23.8	64.8

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 James Monroe Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	394	14.0	28.1	n/a
1992	547	14.2	38.5	33.3
1993	567	18.5	30.6	35.4
1994	629	22.0	28.6	40.2
1995	683	25.5	26.8	49.2
1996	683	25.5	26.8	49.2
1997	607	25.7	23.6	55.4
1998	656	27.5	23.9	49.1
1999	687	33.0	20.8	45.1
2000	658	36.0	18.3	48.6
2001	718	38.0	18.9	49.7
2002	707	36.0	19.6	46.5
2003	707	36.0	19.6	46.5
2004	713	36.0	19.8	48.6
2005	731	38.5	19.0	48.8
2006	690	37.0	18.6	49.2
2007	528	27.5	19.2	39.5
2008	515	30.5	16.9	50.3
2009	541	28.5	17.7	48.1
2010	581	26.0	22.3	47.3
2011	560	n/a	n/a	58
2012	576	23.0	25.0	n/a
2013	580	23.0	25.2	62.2
2014	603	21.0	28.7	47.3
2015	582	23.0	25.3	58.1
2016	580	25.0	23.2	56.9
2017	657	26.0	25.2	52.7
2018	660	28.0	23.5	51.8
2019	696	28.3	24.5	47.6
2020	685	n/a	n/a	56.1
2021	635	28.5	22.2	53.7
2022	586	26.0	22.5	63.7
2023	581	24.0	24.2	63.7
2024	537	22.5	23.8	64.8

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.

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