Summary:
The city of La Quinta, California is home to 8 schools serving grades K-12, all part of the Desert Sands Unified School District. The district is ranked 972 out of 1,560 school districts in California and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger. While the district faces some challenges, a few standout schools shine, including La Quinta High School, which ranks 552 out of 2,335 California high schools and is rated 4 out of 5 stars.
La Quinta High School stands out with a high 95.2% four-year graduation rate, a low 1.5% dropout rate, and strong performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments, outpacing the district and state averages in English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics, and Science. Another high-performing school is Horizon, an alternative public virtual school serving grades K-12, which has an 89.8% four-year graduation rate and also outperforms the district and state on key assessments.
However, the data also reveals significant disparities in academic performance across the schools, with some, like James Madison Elementary, lagging behind. This appears to be correlated with the high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 73% to 86% across the schools, indicating a significant economically disadvantaged population. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, with rates ranging from 15.5% to 59.9%, highlighting the need to address attendance issues and their impact on student learning.
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