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Palm Desert Charter Middle

Q: Is Palm Desert Charter Middle a good school?

Palm Desert Charter Middle ranks 802 nd of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 6-8

802^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 71% of California middle schools

Summary

Palm Desert Charter Middle is a large, high-performing public middle school serving grades 6-8 for 1,298 students in the Desert Sands Unified School District, consistently ranking in the top third of all California middle schools.

The school stands out as the clear academic leader in the Coachella Valley, with proficiency rates in English and Math that are significantly higher than both the district and state averages. This is particularly notable when compared to other middle schools in the same district, such as Thomas Jefferson Middle and Indio Middle. Furthermore, it maintains the lowest chronic absenteeism rate among all nearby schools, indicating a strong culture of attendance and engagement.

Perhaps the most compelling finding is the school's remarkable efficiency; it achieves these superior results while having the highest student-teacher ratio and the lowest per-student spending among its comparison group, which includes schools like Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle and Bobby Duke Middle. While the school is highly effective for many student groups, it faces specific challenges in supporting English Language Learners, and a dip in 8th-grade scores is an area for attention. Overall, it represents a high-quality, cost-effective option within the region.

1,298

Students ?

27.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$29,144

Per pupil spending ?

61.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

74-200 Rutledge Way
Palm Desert, CA 92260-2646

(760) 862-4320

District: Desert Sands Unified

Students who attend Palm Desert Charter Middle usually attend:

High:

Palm Desert High

Feeder schools for Palm Desert Charter Middle:

Elementary:	Abraham Lincoln Elementary
	George Washington Charter
	Gerald R. Ford Elementary
	James Earl Carter Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.5%

White:

34.2%

Two or more races:

6.3%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Palm Desert Charter Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 88th percentile in 2013 → 71st in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Desert Sands Unified

✓Above the California median (71st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2013

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 28 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg33%

California avg41%

802^nd of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 29%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From top 23% (2015) to top 29% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 7Middle Schools in the Desert Sands Unified

989^th of 1,543Desert Sands Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.2	802 of 2761	71.0%	★★★★☆
2024	68.2	719 of 2783	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	70.3	674 of 2781	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	70.8	670 of 2740	75.5%	★★★★☆
2019	73.6	624 of 2715	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	649 of 2480	73.8%	★★★★☆
2017	73.1	597 of 2508	76.2%	★★★★☆
2016	73.2	591 of 2497	76.3%	★★★★☆
2015	73.2	572 of 2477	76.9%	★★★★☆
2013	81.0	296 of 2379	87.6%	★★★★☆
2012	81.4	266 of 2259	88.2%	★★★★☆
2011	80.6	284 of 2236	87.3%	★★★★☆
2010	76.7	383 of 2179	82.4%	★★★★☆
2009	78.1	323 of 2063	84.3%	★★★★☆
2008	72.3	442 of 2005	78.0%	★★★★☆
2007	72.9	431 of 1999	78.4%	★★★★☆
2006	75.4	370 of 1804	79.5%	★★★★☆
2005	69.5	450 of 1777	74.7%	★★★★☆
2004	70.3	422 of 1769	76.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	99.9	2 of 627	99.7%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.5	266 of 739	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.6	401 of 743	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.7	391 of 715	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	63.5	314 of 733	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.5	289 of 745	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.5	148 of 700	78.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	30.5	1044 of 1531	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.4	802 of 1491	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.4	712 of 1369	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	28.6	1308 of 1478	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.4	1326 of 1521	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.9	858 of 1540	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.5	557 of 1442	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.9	451 of 1364	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.2	832 of 2533	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.4	738 of 2551	71.1%	★★★★☆
2023	69.2	636 of 2531	74.9%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	621 of 2509	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	71.3	594 of 2380	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	66.6	653 of 2262	71.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.1	850 of 2395	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.7	643 of 2388	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	61.7	688 of 2374	71.0%	★★★★☆
2022	65.7	593 of 2359	74.9%	★★★★☆
2019	65.6	576 of 2213	74.0%	★★★★☆
2018	59.5	675 of 2072	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.5	798 of 2542	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.9	537 of 2579	79.2%	★★★★☆
2023	68.8	539 of 2531	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	65.2	617 of 2458	74.9%	★★★★☆
2019	62.4	676 of 2369	71.5%	★★★★☆
2018	41.7	1200 of 2230	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.5	718 of 2534	71.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.4	648 of 2552	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	69.2	630 of 2538	75.2%	★★★★☆
2022	70.6	608 of 2527	75.9%	★★★★☆
2019	72.8	561 of 2407	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	70.4	581 of 2273	74.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	452 of 726	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.0	414 of 701	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.6	339 of 677	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.3	296 of 665	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.0	299 of 554	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.1	287 of 462	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.2	777 of 1566	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.3	796 of 1552	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.1	820 of 1531	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	58.4	630 of 1520	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.6	541 of 1537	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.5	426 of 1543	72.4%	★★★★☆
2022	65.3	497 of 1555	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.9	451 of 1602	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.0	476 of 1496	68.2%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2024)100th percentile+26 vs school

Male (2025)72nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)69th percentile~ school

Female (2025)67th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)65th percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2025)64th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)59th percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2025)50th percentile-21 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)38th percentile-33 vs school

Disabled (2022)32nd percentile-44 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)12th percentile-63 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy58%+9 vs state

Mathematics39%~ state avg

Science32%~ state avg

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, July 29, 2015

I'm so proud of pdcms my daughter Attends school there. It has taught her so much the teachers are caring for all students I recomemner everyone to come to this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Palm Desert Charter Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palm Desert Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	74-200 Rutledge Way	Palm Desert	92260	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 862-4320	1,298	47	27.6	61.4%	444 (34.2%)	20 (1.5%)	669 (51.5%)	78 (6.0%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	82 (6.3%)	64.2	802^nd of 2761 public middle schools	71.0%		68.2	719^th of 2783 public middle schools	74.2%	83	32.1	32.1	61.5	64.5	48.3	57.9	43.2	41.7	32.1	38.8	$29,144	$28,914	$230
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle	Public	6-8	43-495 Palm Royale Dr.	La Quinta	92253	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 238-9710	439	21	20.7	84.1%	80 (18.2%)	13 (3.0%)	305 (69.5%)	18 (4.1%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.3%)	20.5	2200^th of 2761 public middle schools	20.3%		20.6	2236^th of 2783 public middle schools	19.7%	36	21.2	21.2	31.7	23.4	32.5	29.9	9.0	13.9	12.8	11.8	$27,133	$24,602	$2,531
John Glenn Middle School of International Studies	Public	6-8	79-655 Miles Ave.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 200-3700	1,099	45	24.4	67.1%	175 (15.9%)	18 (1.6%)	829 (75.4%)	29 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (4.3%)	52	1133^rd of 2761 public middle schools	59.0%		50.8	1147^th of 2783 public middle schools	58.8%	14	23.4	23.4	44.4	42.3	45.7	44.1	35.8	42.2	43.2	40.2	$23,402	$21,538	$1,864
La Quinta Middle	Public	6-8	78-900 Avenue 50	La Quinta	92253	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 777-4220	709	30	23.4	85.3%	79 (11.1%)	12 (1.7%)	554 (78.1%)	13 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (6.9%)	30.2	1824^th of 2761 public middle schools	33.9%		30.7	1783^rd of 2783 public middle schools	35.9%	41	18.5	18.5	38.1	34.9	35.3	36.1	30.7	19.7	19.0	22.8	$22,165	$20,254	$1,911
Desert Ridge Academy	Public	6-8	79-767 Avenue 39	Indio	92203	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 393-5500	962	41	23.6	81.5%	81 (8.4%)	13 (1.4%)	815 (84.7%)	16 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	32 (3.3%)	26.3	1945^th of 2761 public middle schools	29.6%		19.6	2278^th of 2783 public middle schools	18.1%	333	21.1	21.1	37.1	36.5	30.5	34.5	24.5	18.5	10.5	17.4	$24,883	$22,806	$2,077
Nellie N. Coffman Middle	Public	6-8	34-603 Plumley Rd.	Cathedral City	92234	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 770-8617	914	46	19.9	97.2%	42 (4.6%)	14 (1.5%)	838 (91.7%)	9 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.0%)	24.9	2010^th of 2761 public middle schools	27.2%		21.7	2187^th of 2783 public middle schools	21.4%	177	19.7	19.7	32.3	28.8	41.0	34.1	17.5	10.4	19.3	15.8	$19,745	$18,724	$1,021
Indio Middle	Public	6-8	81-195 Miles Ave.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 775-3800	768	34	22.3	92.7%	30 (3.9%)	14 (1.8%)	697 (90.8%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.0%)	9.7	2625^th of 2761 public middle schools	4.9%		12.3	2570^th of 2783 public middle schools	7.7%	55	11.6	11.6	14.1	21.9	16.7	17.6	6.2	6.4	6.2	6.3	$21,056	$18,964	$2,092
James Workman Middle	Public	6-8	69-300 30th Ave.	Cathedral City	92234	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 770-8540	1,020	47	21.8	97.8%	72 (7.1%)	16 (1.6%)	849 (83.2%)	45 (4.4%)	8 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	28 (2.7%)	42	1430^th of 2761 public middle schools	48.2%		38.8	1514^th of 2783 public middle schools	45.6%	84	23.6	23.6	39.4	48.4	42.0	43.1	27.9	32.5	26.9	29.0	$20,481	$19,594	$887
Thomas Jefferson Middle	Public	6-8	83-089 Highway 111	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 863-3660	591	22	26.9	92.0%	13 (2.2%)	4 (0.7%)	538 (91.0%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.1%)	7.7	2689^th of 2761 public middle schools	2.6%		12	2590^th of 2783 public middle schools	6.9%	99	7.8	7.8	9.8	18.1	17.4	15.2	6.1	4.0	1.4	3.6	$21,697	$19,828	$1,869
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High	Public	7-8	82-489 Avenue 52	Coachella	92236	Riverside County	Coachella Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 398-0097	668	33	20.1	83.8%	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	658 (98.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	28.2	1889^th of 2761 public middle schools	31.6%		25.1	2031^st of 2783 public middle schools	27.0%	142	17.9	17.9		37.9	29.8	33.5		22.6	23.0	22.8	$22,232	$16,936	$5,296

Frequently Asked Questions about Palm Desert Charter Middle

How many students attend Palm Desert Charter Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,298 students attended Palm Desert Charter Middle.

What high school do graduates of Palm Desert Charter Middle attend?

Students who attend Palm Desert Charter Middle usually go on to attend Palm Desert High

Is Palm Desert Charter Middle a good school?

Palm Desert Charter Middle ranks 802^nd of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Palm Desert Charter Middle in?

Desert Sands Unified

What is the racial makeup of Palm Desert Charter Middle?

Students at Palm Desert Charter Middle are 52% Hispanic, 34% White, 6% Two or more races, 6% Asian, 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.