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James Monroe Elementary

Q: Is James Monroe Elementary a good school?

James Monroe Elementary ranks 1608 th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1608^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,804 California Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of California elementary schools

Summary

James Monroe Elementary is a K–5 school in Bermuda Dunes, California, serving 562 students in the Desert Sands Unified district. Its standout result is math: in 2025–2026, Monroe ranked first among 11 nearby schools, with 55% of students proficient.

Monroe is strong across all three tested subjects compared with the state, district, and nearby-school averages. In math, 55% were proficient, versus 38% statewide, 28% in the district, and a nearby-school average of 27%. ELA proficiency was also 55%, above the state’s 49%, the district’s 43%, and the nearby average of 38%; Monroe ranked second locally in ELA. Science proficiency was 43%, compared with 36% statewide, 29% in the district, and a nearby average of 29%, placing Monroe third among nearby schools. ELA is the least pronounced of its advantages over these comparison groups, though it remains ahead of each. Fifth grade is especially strong: proficiency was 68% in ELA and 66% in math, while third-grade results were much closer to state levels.

Science has improved most over time, rising 17 percentage points from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026; over the same period, ELA rose 3 points and math was nearly flat, up less than 1 point. Monroe’s overall SchoolDigger rating is 72nd percentile with 4 stars in 2025–2026, second among nearby schools, but below its earlier 92nd-percentile peak. SchoolDigger’s measure of how well the school serves students in special education was at the 7th percentile, with 0 stars, in 2024–2025—down 42 percentile points from the previous year and well below the school’s overall 72nd-percentile standing that year. Context for families: the 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 25.5, the highest among nearby schools, and 69% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible, compared with a nearby-school average of 79%.

562

Students ?

25.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,527

Per pupil spending ?

69.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

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

(760) 772-4130

District: Desert Sands Unified

Students who attend James Monroe Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle
High:	Palm Desert High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

68.7%

White:

20.1%

Two or more races:

6.4%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare James Monroe Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 74th percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (53% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Desert Sands Unified

✓Above the California median (72nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 26 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg34%

California avg42%

1,608^th of 5,804

California public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From top 13% (2016) to top 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 19Elementary Schools in the Desert Sands Unified

627^th of 968Desert 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
2026	69.4	1608 of 5804	72.3%	★★★★☆
2025	69.3	1635 of 5857	72.1%	★★★★☆
2024	73.6	1425 of 5869	75.7%	★★★★☆
2023	66.3	1740 of 5859	70.3%	★★★★☆
2022	76.1	1353 of 5883	77.0%	★★★★☆
2019	93.0	440 of 5789	92.4%	★★★★★
2018	93.2	435 of 5662	92.3%	★★★★★
2017	91.9	524 of 5692	90.8%	★★★★★
2016	87.9	739 of 5614	86.8%	★★★★☆
2015	70.6	1467 of 5611	73.9%	★★★★☆
2013	70.3	1563 of 5530	71.7%	★★★★☆
2012	71.1	1463 of 5390	72.9%	★★★★☆
2011	67.4	1610 of 5377	70.1%	★★★★☆
2010	62.9	1835 of 5314	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	59.2	1959 of 5193	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	68.5	1472 of 5113	71.2%	★★★★☆
2007	67.2	1506 of 5113	70.5%	★★★★☆
2006	52.3	2082 of 4818	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	48.7	2264 of 4822	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2004	43.7	2470 of 4809	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	79.8	333 of 2585	87.1%	★★★★☆
2018	74.9	346 of 2128	83.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	97.8	61 of 3311	98.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	69.6	1505 of 5569	73.0%	★★★★☆
2025	70.4	1479 of 5597	73.6%	★★★★☆
2024	71.3	1434 of 5612	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	63.1	1801 of 5609	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.2	1313 of 5635	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	90.6	524 of 5492	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	90.7	533 of 5413	90.2%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	75.0	934 of 5085	81.6%	★★★★☆
2025	73.3	1040 of 5107	79.6%	★★★★☆
2024	78.6	775 of 5107	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	1324 of 5087	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	86.2	498 of 5084	90.2%	★★★★★
2019	97.5	74 of 4963	98.5%	★★★★★
2018	95.5	118 of 4830	97.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	74.8	1016 of 5412	81.2%	★★★★☆
2025	73.2	1095 of 5460	79.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.3	960 of 5517	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	67.3	1378 of 5363	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	80.7	732 of 5264	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	95.4	130 of 5173	97.5%	★★★★★
2018	95.5	114 of 5084	97.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	66.3	1670 of 5590	70.1%	★★★★☆
2025	64.8	1760 of 5628	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.7	1379 of 5643	75.6%	★★★★☆
2023	67.5	1612 of 5638	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	74.3	1341 of 5663	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	92.7	398 of 5510	92.8%	★★★★★
2018	93.1	388 of 5431	92.9%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	19.0	2642 of 2847	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	39.6	1345 of 2635	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.1	1217 of 2420	49.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	66.8	869 of 2532	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.6	923 of 2598	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.9	747 of 2651	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	61.2	1073 of 2661	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.8	1134 of 2726	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	89.2	117 of 2834	95.9%	★★★★★
2018	91.3	70 of 2737	97.4%	★★★★★

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)

English Language Learner (2022)98th percentile+21 vs school

Disabled (2019)87th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)82nd percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)70th percentile~ school

White (2026)66th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)7th percentile-65 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy55%+6 vs state

Mathematics55%+17 vs state

Science43%+7 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

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

Schools Near James Monroe Elementary

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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 Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Monroe Elementary	Public	K-5	42-100 Yucca Ln.	Bermuda Dunes	92203	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 772-4130	562	22	25.5	69.0%	113 (20.1%)	4 (0.7%)	386 (68.7%)	17 (3.0%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.4%)	69.4	1608^th of 5804 public elementary schools	72.3%		69.3	1635^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.1%	27	42.9	42.9	44.3	51.6	67.6	55.2	48.9	49.5	65.7	55.2	96.1	98.0	98.0		96.1	98.0	$24,527	$22,930	$1,597
Gerald R. Ford Elementary	Public	K-5	44-210 Warner Trail	Indian Wells	92210	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 772-4120	598	25	23.9	62.9%	179 (29.9%)	8 (1.3%)	332 (55.5%)	43 (7.2%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.0%)	79.6	1145^th of 5804 public elementary schools	80.3%		83.6	983^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	83.2%	162	53.4	53.4	62.2	68.8	63.6	65.0	57.3	59.4	47.7	54.9	93.6	96.3	97.3		96.3	98.2	$27,245	$25,536	$1,709
Ronald Reagan Elementary	Public	K-5	39-800 Liberty Dr.	Palm Desert	92211	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 772-0456	808	35	23.4	59.0%	123 (15.2%)	10 (1.2%)	598 (74.0%)	16 (2.0%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (6.9%)	46.2	2834^th of 5804 public elementary schools	51.2%		51.2	2544^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.6%	290	35.7	35.7	36.0	52.1	56.4	47.6	28.8	40.2	29.4	32.5	95.1			97.9	96.5		$23,875	$22,190	$1,685
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	748	30	24.9	65.1%	169 (22.6%)	5 (0.7%)	492 (65.8%)	30 (4.0%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.4%)	50.8	2562^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	55.9%		48.1	2691^st of 5857 public elementary schools	54.1%	129	46.1	46.1	47.4	39.4	55.5	47.3	39.5	29.6	36.7	35.0	96.8			98.1	97.5	98.1	$24,892	$23,270	$1,622
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	459	21	22.3	89.1%	15 (3.3%)	6 (1.3%)	419 (91.3%)	11 (2.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	20.2	4782^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	17.6%		36.1	3474^th of 5857 public elementary schools	40.7%	1308	24.7	24.7	27.7	28.9	32.5	29.8	18.5	16.9	18.2	17.8							$27,706	$25,708	$1,998
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	403	17	23.7	93.5%	8 (2.0%)	2 (0.5%)	359 (89.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.2%)	16.9	5058^th of 5804 public elementary schools	12.9%		10.5	5603^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	4.3%	545	23.3	23.3	15.8	26.8	31.5	25.3	13.8	16.1	16.4	15.5							$29,021	$27,116	$1,905
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	560	27	21.1	89.5%	13 (2.3%)	7 (1.3%)	513 (91.6%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.4%)	14.5	5252^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	9.5%		13.9	5352^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	8.6%	100	11.9	11.9	24.4	29.6	25.0	26.4	15.4	14.8	15.5	15.2	96.6						$29,835	$27,758	$2,077
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	390	18	21.5	91.3%	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	376 (96.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	11.3	5508^th of 5804 public elementary schools	5.1%		8	5739^th of 5857 public elementary schools	2.0%	231	10.6	10.6	21.9	17.7	25.8	21.4	19.2	16.5	6.1	14.3	95.5				95.5		$30,603	$28,610	$1,993
Harry S. Truman Elementary	Public	K-5	78-870 Avenue 50	La Quinta	92253	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 777-4230	635	25	25.4	80.2%	71 (11.2%)	11 (1.7%)	488 (76.9%)	10 (1.6%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (8.0%)	36	3498^th of 5804 public elementary schools	39.7%		47	2759^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.9%	739	35.5	35.5	31.6	38.4	46.3	39.1	28.4	19.6	34.3	27.3							$24,475	$22,626	$1,849
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	326	14	24.1	96.9%	6 (1.8%)	2 (0.6%)	298 (91.4%)	6 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.0%)	12	5458^th of 5804 public elementary schools	6.0%		12.8	5434^th of 5857 public elementary schools	7.2%	24	15.8	15.8	17.0	14.6	29.8	21.0	11.9	2.4	17.5	11.5	92.3				92.3		$30,664	$28,866	$1,798

Frequently Asked Questions about James Monroe Elementary

Is James Monroe Elementary a good school?

James Monroe Elementary ranks 1608^th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is James Monroe Elementary in?

Desert Sands Unified

What is the racial makeup of James Monroe Elementary?

Students at James Monroe Elementary are 69% Hispanic, 20% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend James Monroe Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 562 students attended James Monroe Elementary.

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

Rate James Monroe Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

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.