Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Q: Is Richard R. Oliphant Elementary a good school?

Richard R. Oliphant Elementary ranks 3002 nd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Richard R. Oliphant Elementary is a public elementary school in Indio, California, serving 620 students in grades K-5 and part of the Desert Sands Unified school district.

The school faces significant challenges, with a consistently low statewide ranking in the bottom 50% of California elementary schools. It performs better for Hispanic students, ranking around the top 40-50%, but struggles for English Language Learners and White students. Chronic absenteeism has risen sharply, from 8.6% in 2018-2019 to 44.5% in 2021-2022, well above the state average. Academically, the school generally performs below the district and state in Smarter Balanced Assessments, with proficiency rates ranging from 29.21% to 47.62% in 2023-2024, compared to the district's 24.97% to 43.31% and the state's 30.7% to 47.37%. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

When compared to nearby schools in the same district, such as James Monroe Elementary and Amelia Earhart Elementary School of International Studies, Richard R. Oliphant Elementary generally performs worse, with lower statewide rankings, poorer test scores, and higher chronic absenteeism rates. However, the school's relatively stronger performance for Hispanic students suggests it may be more effective in supporting this subgroup. The declining test scores across the school are also a concerning trend that warrants further investigation and targeted interventions to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

41-633 Gore St.
Indio, CA 92203-3178

(760) 834-3231

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3002^nd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend Richard R. Oliphant Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Desert Ridge Academy
High:	Shadow Hills High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.7

Number of students: 606

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

85.0%

White:

8.4%

Two or more races:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Richard R. Oliphant Elementary ranks worse than 51.2% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.84. (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

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Richard R. Oliphant Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Richard R. Oliphant Elementary 3002^nd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Richard R. Oliphant Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic 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 Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	40.88	3141^st	5789	45.7%
2022	35.58	3415^th	5883	42.0%
2023	37.42	3321^st	5874	43.5%
2024	42.84	3002^nd	5862	48.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	67.72	598^th	3275	81.7%
2022	48.79	1263^rd	3311	61.9%
2023	63.56	665^th	3250	79.5%
2024	33.65	2279^th	3160	27.9%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	52.84	831^st	2420	65.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	49.39	2444^th	5173	52.8%
2022	42.98	2762^nd	5264	47.5%
2023	41.94	2914^th	5374	45.8%
2024	43.02	2904^th	5511	47.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	39.52	3134^th	5492	42.9%
2022	31.76	3598^th	5635	36.1%
2023	37.13	3208^th	5617	42.9%
2024	42.24	2907^th	5605	48.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	44.01	1163^rd	2585	55.0%
2022	29.66	1506^th	2227	32.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	42.06	2911^th	5510	47.2%
2022	39.86	3016^th	5663	46.7%
2023	37.78	3213^th	5650	43.1%
2024	43.02	2874^th	5636	49.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	50.36	2265^th	4963	54.4%
2022	48.98	2274^th	5084	55.3%
2023	47.32	2401^st	5098	52.9%
2024	53.78	2017^th	5102	60.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	31.75	1963^rd	2726	28.0%

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 Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2019	45	4	4	494	0	0	23	570
2020	51	4	4	497	1	0	27	584
2021	45	4	3	520	0	0	30	602
2022	49	7	6	518	1	1	32	614
2023	58	4	9	517	1	1	30	620
2024	51	6	8	515	1	0	25	606

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 Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	570	23.0	24.7	70.5
2020	584	n/a	n/a	72.1
2021	602	23.0	26.1	57
2022	614	24.5	25.0	76.7
2023	620	26.0	23.8	71.5
2024	606	24.5	24.7	73.4

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 Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	570	23.0	24.7	70.5
2020	584	n/a	n/a	72.1
2021	602	23.0	26.1	57
2022	614	24.5	25.0	76.7
2023	620	26.0	23.8	71.5
2024	606	24.5	24.7	73.4

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

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Year	Completely Immunized	Medical Exemption	Conditional	Polio	Hepatitis B	DTP	MMR
2020	97.5%	0.9%	1.7%	97.5%	97.5%	97.5%
2021	98.2%	0.0%	0.0%
2022	98.3%	0.0%	0.0%				98.3%

Data source: California Department of Public Health

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

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 3141^st of 5789 Elementary schools	Ranks 3321^st of 5874 Elementary schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Richard R. Oliphant Elementary)	39.8	30.2	9.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)	54.1	37.9	16.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	43	5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Richard R. Oliphant Elementary)	38.8	40.6	1.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)	56.3	38	18.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (California)	50.2	45.1	5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Richard R. Oliphant Elementary)	45.2	41.4	3.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)	53.4	38.1	15.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.5	43.7	5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Richard R. Oliphant Elementary)	45.2	43.7	1.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)	48.4	33.5	15%
4th Grade Mathematics (California)	44.9	40.8	4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Richard R. Oliphant Elementary)	52.7	37.1	15.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)	52.5	42.9	9.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.7	46.7	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Richard R. Oliphant Elementary)	33.8	12.4	21.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)	37.1	26.2	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (California)	38	33.4	4.6%
5th Grade Science (Richard R. Oliphant Elementary)	20.3	24.8	4.5%
5th Grade Science (Desert Sands Unified)	27.8	27.7	0.1%
5th Grade Science (California)	31.7	31.9	0.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	570	620	8.8%
African American	4	4
American Indian	0	1
Asian	4	9	125%
Hispanic	494	517	4.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	45	58	28.9%
Two or More Races	23	30	30.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	70.5%	71.5%	0.9%

Schools Near Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Richard R. Oliphant Elementary	Public	K-5	41-633 Gore St.	Indio	92203	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 834-3231	606	25	24.7	73.4%	51 (8.4%)	6 (1.0%)	515 (85.0%)	8 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.1%)	42.8	3002^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	48.8%		37.4	3321^st of 5874 public elementary schools	43.5%	319	29.2	29.2	45.7	29.9	44.4	39.7	47.6	32.7	22.5	34.9	98.3				98.3
Andrew Jackson Elementary	Public	K-5	82-850 Kenner Ave.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 775-3830	762	34	22.3	85.8%	23 (3.0%)	8 (1.0%)	700 (91.9%)	10 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.6%)	16.8	5127^th of 5862 public elementary schools	12.5%		19.4	4930^th of 5874 public elementary schools	16.1%	197	19.6	19.6	14.8	18.6	34.3	22.2	13.7	15.8	16.8	15.4	95.7		97.8	97.1		$8,238
Herbert Hoover Elementary	Public	K-5	44-300 Monroe St.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 775-3820	335	12	27.9	88.7%	10 (3.0%)	3 (0.9%)	293 (87.5%)	6 (1.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.0%)	16.9	5121^st of 5862 public elementary schools	12.6%		12.9	5500^th of 5874 public elementary schools	6.4%	379	16.7	16.7	22.0	13.6	31.3	23.4	21.3	12.8	13.4	16.0	92.3			92.3		$9,192
Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary	Public	K-5	44-640 Clinton St.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 863-3680	567	24	23.6	86.9%	16 (2.8%)	6 (1.1%)	512 (90.3%)	9 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.1%)	12.5	5514^th of 5862 public elementary schools	5.9%		19.6	4905^th of 5874 public elementary schools	16.5%	609	6.6	6.6	10.2	15.6	33.0	19.7	8.0	10.0	16.5	11.5	96.6					$9,685
Carrillo Ranch Elementary	Public	K-5	43-775 Madison St.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 238-9700	471	21	22.9	87.7%	18 (3.8%)	7 (1.5%)	428 (90.9%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	29.9	3926^th of 5862 public elementary schools	33.0%		26.3	4247^th of 5874 public elementary schools	27.7%	321	20.3	20.3	25.6	39.2	35.9	33.6	30.4	34.2	15.4	26.7						$8,035
John F. Kennedy Elementary	Public	K-5	45-100 Clinton St.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 775-3840	386	18	21.3	89.1%	6 (1.6%)	5 (1.3%)	367 (95.1%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	10	5679^th of 5862 public elementary schools	3.1%		7.9	5796^th of 5874 public elementary schools	1.3%	117	15.9	15.9	16.9	7.9	14.3	13.1	16.9	3.2	7.9	9.4	95.5			95.5		$8,701
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary	Public	K-5	83-200 Dr. Carreon Blvd.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 775-3860	491	21	23.3	87.4%	7 (1.4%)	5 (1.0%)	449 (91.4%)	10 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.7%)	13.1	5468^th of 5862 public elementary schools	6.7%		19.6	4901^st of 5874 public elementary schools	16.6%	567	9.9	9.9	14.6	18.8	23.9	18.7	13.5	17.7	16.9	15.9	96.7					$8,198
James Madison Elementary	Public	K-5	80-845 Avenue 46	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 775-3850	376	16	23.5	91.0%	9 (2.4%)	5 (1.3%)	323 (85.9%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.3%)	15.5	5254^th of 5862 public elementary schools	10.4%		13	5494^th of 5874 public elementary schools	6.5%	240	10.3	10.3	23.3	10.7	24.0	20.1	25.6	10.2	18.0	18.6						$8,515
Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Junior Academy	Public	K-5	47-368 Monroe St.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 863-1544	598	27	22.1	80.9%	15 (2.5%)	8 (1.3%)	549 (91.8%)	15 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	6 (1.0%)	30.2	3901^st of 5862 public elementary schools	33.5%		34	3577^th of 5874 public elementary schools	39.1%	324	24.6	24.6	35.6	28.3	32.7	32.2	32.2	20.7	27.3	26.6	97.5	98.4	98.4	97.5	98.4	$9,110
Amelia Earhart Elementary School of International Studies	Public	K-5	45-250 Dune Palms Rd.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 200-3720	762	32	23.7	62.2%	180 (23.6%)	3 (0.4%)	502 (65.9%)	24 (3.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.6%)	43.6	2949^th of 5862 public elementary schools	49.7%		50.5	2503^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	57.4%	446	33.3	33.3	26.8	43.6	45.5	38.5	40.2	37.9	28.5	35.6	96.8		98.1	97.5	98.1	$7,547

Frequently Asked Questions about Richard R. Oliphant Elementary

What schools do graduates of Richard R. Oliphant Elementary attend?

Students who attend Richard R. Oliphant Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Desert Ridge Academy
High : Shadow Hills High

How many students attend Richard R. Oliphant Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 606 students attended Richard R. Oliphant Elementary.

What district is Richard R. Oliphant Elementary in?

Desert Sands Unified

Is Richard R. Oliphant Elementary a good school?

Richard R. Oliphant Elementary ranks 3002^nd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Richard R. Oliphant Elementary?

Students at Richard R. Oliphant Elementary are 85% Hispanic, 8% White, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Rate Richard R. Oliphant Elementary!

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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.