Is Gerald R. Ford Elementary a good school?

Gerald R. Ford Elementary ranks 1133 rd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Gerald R. Ford Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 615 students attended Gerald R. Ford Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Gerald R. Ford Elementary?

Students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary are 54% Hispanic, 31% White, 7% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Gerald R. Ford Elementary attend?

Students who attend Gerald R. Ford Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : La Quinta Middle Middle : Palm Desert Charter Middle High : Palm Desert High

Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Summary:

Gerald R. Ford Elementary is a public elementary school in Indian Wells, California, serving 603 students in grades K-5 and part of the Desert Sands Unified School District. This high-performing school consistently ranks in the top 25% of California elementary schools, with strong academic achievement across all grade levels that exceeds district and state averages.

A notable strength of Gerald R. Ford Elementary is its exceptional performance for Hispanic students and English Language Learners, ranking in the top 10% and top 5% of California elementary schools in these subgroups, respectively. The school also maintains strong academic outcomes for its large population of low-income students, 58.71% of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. However, the school's chronic absenteeism rate has seen a significant increase in recent years, rising from 7.4% in 2018-2019 to 33.2% in 2021-2022, an area that warrants further investigation and intervention.

Compared to nearby schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District, Gerald R. Ford Elementary outperforms most, with the exception of James Monroe Elementary, which is located just 1.26 miles away and also ranks in the top 25% of California elementary schools. Overall, Gerald R. Ford Elementary is a high-performing school that effectively supports its diverse student population, though the increase in chronic absenteeism is an area that requires attention.

Detail:

Public K-5

44-210 Warner Trail
Indian Wells, CA 92210-7598

(760) 772-4120

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1133^rd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,259

Students who attend Gerald R. Ford Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	La Quinta Middle
	Palm Desert Charter Middle
High:	Palm Desert High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.5

Number of students: 615

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.7%

White:

31.4%

Asian:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Gerald R. Ford Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Gerald R. Ford Elementary ranks better than 80.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 2^nd among 18 ranked elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.48. (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 (53.7%), White (31.4%), Asian (7.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 63.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gerald R. Ford Elementary is 24.5. 14 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Gerald R. Ford Elementary employs 25 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gerald R. Ford Elementary is $7,259. 16 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gerald R. Ford Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Gerald R. Ford Elementary 1133^rd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Gerald R. Ford 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.)

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Rank History for Gerald R. Ford Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	82.86	796^th	4809	83.4%
2005	79.38	948^th	4822	80.3%
2006	82.46	855^th	4818	82.3%
2007	85.12	748^th	5113	85.4%
2008	83.79	805^th	5113	84.3%
2009	85.75	721^st	5193	86.1%
2010	81.44	930^th	5314	82.5%
2011	83.08	840^th	5377	84.4%
2012	85.09	724^th	5390	86.6%
2013	82.55	921^st	5530	83.3%
2015	86.84	788^th	5611	86.0%
2016	77.33	1222^nd	5614	78.2%
2017	77.80	1212^th	5692	78.7%
2018	81.73	1040^th	5662	81.6%
2019	79.72	1186^th	5789	79.5%
2022	73.36	1475^th	5883	74.9%
2023	74.94	1377^th	5874	76.6%
2024	80.48	1133^rd	5862	80.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	74.90	450^th	3246	86.1%
2019	91.53	148^th	3275	95.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.28	1241^st	2420	48.7%
2024	54.96	827^th	2634	68.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	79.32	712^th	5084	86.0%
2019	85.03	489^th	5173	90.5%
2022	73.67	1006^th	5264	80.9%
2023	82.34	689^th	5374	87.2%
2024	86.81	560^th	5511	89.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	79.88	1050^th	5413	80.6%
2019	80.57	1050^th	5492	80.9%
2022	61.75	1865^th	5635	66.9%
2023	73.18	1362^nd	5617	75.8%
2024	80.28	1086^th	5605	80.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	77.76	329^th	2227	85.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	80.68	1031^st	5431	81.0%
2019	75.51	1282^nd	5510	76.7%
2022	79.34	1130^th	5663	80.0%
2023	72.76	1382^nd	5650	75.5%
2024	76.50	1209^th	5636	78.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	86.82	422^nd	4830	91.3%
2019	83.45	578^th	4963	88.4%
2022	73.07	1012^th	5084	80.1%
2023	84.01	575^th	5098	88.7%
2024	86.42	493^rd	5102	90.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.59	806^th	2737	70.6%
2019	67.37	928^th	2834	67.3%
2022	61.18	1115^th	2726	59.1%
2023	52.91	1340^th	2662	49.7%
2024	64.89	964^th	2647	63.6%

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

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Enrollment information for Gerald R. Ford Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1992	226	5	9	85	6	n/a	n/a	0	331
1993	444	10	15	130	3	n/a	n/a	0	602
1994	495	6	16	140	4	n/a	n/a	0	661
1995	580	12	14	104	8	n/a	n/a	0	718
1996	580	12	14	104	8	n/a	n/a	0	718
1997	554	15	19	198	7	n/a	n/a	0	793
1998	501	11	16	153	6	n/a	n/a	0	687
1999	517	12	13	183	4	n/a	n/a	0	729
2000	548	4	25	211	4	n/a	n/a	0	792
2001	572	4	27	232	6	n/a	n/a	0	841
2002	405	6	14	217	7	n/a	n/a	11	660
2003	405	6	14	217	7	n/a	n/a	11	660
2004	410	8	28	214	6	n/a	n/a	30	696
2005	400	13	36	233	9	n/a	n/a	57	748
2006	392	18	25	225	7	n/a	n/a	77	744
2007	370	11	27	209	4	n/a	n/a	81	702
2008	402	12	33	230	4	n/a	n/a	0	681
2009	436	12	38	253	1	3	57	0	800
2010	439	10	32	289	2	2	27	0	801
2011	407	9	35	302	4	3	30	0	790
2012	388	6	36	322	5	2	33	0	792
2013	365	9	38	329	7	0	28	0	776
2014	374	11	40	352	6	0	28	0	811
2015	318	12	42	349	3	0	24	0	748
2016	330	16	42	381	4	1	30	0	804
2017	315	16	47	355	4	1	41	0	779
2018	289	12	48	356	4	0	50	0	759
2019	263	14	52	338	6	0	63	0	736
2020	272	16	51	326	7	1	73	0	746
2021	233	16	46	304	3	1	57	0	660
2022	213	11	46	304	2	1	47	0	624
2023	196	7	47	310	3	0	40	0	603
2024	193	7	46	330	6	2	31	0	615

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 Gerald R. Ford Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	331	n/a	n/a	19.9
1993	602	21.0	28.7	26.1
1994	661	22.0	30.0	22.5
1995	718	27.0	26.6	26.6
1996	718	27.0	26.6	26.6
1997	793	28.0	28.3	24.1
1998	687	30.0	22.9	27.8
1999	729	32.5	22.4	21.7
2000	792	35.0	22.6	23.4
2001	841	40.0	21.0	20.6
2002	660	32.0	20.6	33.1
2003	660	32.0	20.6	33.1
2004	696	33.5	20.8	27.3
2005	748	34.5	21.7	35.5
2006	744	35.3	21.1	22.3
2007	702	35.0	20.1	23.8
2008	681	36.0	18.9	26.4
2009	800	34.0	22.9	28.9
2010	801	34.0	23.5	30
2011	790	n/a	n/a	34.3
2012	792	30.0	26.4	n/a
2013	776	29.2	26.5	41.8
2014	811	28.2	28.7	34
2015	748	29.0	25.7	44.3
2016	804	31.0	25.9	40.4
2017	779	34.0	22.9	42.5
2018	759	32.0	23.7	42.6
2019	736	31.0	23.7	44.4
2020	746	n/a	n/a	43
2021	660	29.0	22.7	51.1
2022	624	25.1	24.8	54.8
2023	603	27.1	22.2	58.7
2024	615	25.0	24.5	63.6

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 Gerald R. Ford Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	331	n/a	n/a	19.9
1993	602	21.0	28.7	26.1
1994	661	22.0	30.0	22.5
1995	718	27.0	26.6	26.6
1996	718	27.0	26.6	26.6
1997	793	28.0	28.3	24.1
1998	687	30.0	22.9	27.8
1999	729	32.5	22.4	21.7
2000	792	35.0	22.6	23.4
2001	841	40.0	21.0	20.6
2002	660	32.0	20.6	33.1
2003	660	32.0	20.6	33.1
2004	696	33.5	20.8	27.3
2005	748	34.5	21.7	35.5
2006	744	35.3	21.1	22.3
2007	702	35.0	20.1	23.8
2008	681	36.0	18.9	26.4
2009	800	34.0	22.9	28.9
2010	801	34.0	23.5	30
2011	790	n/a	n/a	34.3
2012	792	30.0	26.4	n/a
2013	776	29.2	26.5	41.8
2014	811	28.2	28.7	34
2015	748	29.0	25.7	44.3
2016	804	31.0	25.9	40.4
2017	779	34.0	22.9	42.5
2018	759	32.0	23.7	42.6
2019	736	31.0	23.7	44.4
2020	746	n/a	n/a	43
2021	660	29.0	22.7	51.1
2022	624	25.1	24.8	54.8
2023	603	27.1	22.2	58.7
2024	615	25.0	24.5	63.6

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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