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Benjamin Franklin Elementary

Q: Is Benjamin Franklin Elementary a good school?

Benjamin Franklin Elementary ranks 3601 st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

3601^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of California elementary schools

Summary

Benjamin Franklin Elementary is a public K-5 school serving 627 students in La Quinta, California, as part of the Desert Sands Unified district, where it sits in the middle tier academically compared to other local schools.

The school's overall academic performance is below the state average, with particular challenges in mathematics, though its 5th graders show a strength in English Language Arts. It serves a community with significant economic need, and while chronic absenteeism is a concern at 24%, this number represents a major improvement from previous years and is notably better than at some nearby schools like James Madison Elementary (35.2%) and Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Junior Academy (31.8%). Performance varies widely across the district, with George Washington Charter achieving much higher scores and John F. Kennedy Elementary scoring significantly lower.

Benjamin Franklin's profile is very similar to its closest neighbor, Harry S. Truman Elementary, in terms of student demographics and academic results. The school has seen its statewide ranking decline over the past decade, but recent data shows promising improvements in outcomes for students with special education needs alongside the better attendance. Interestingly, the analysis shows that higher per-student spending in the district does not automatically lead to better test scores, suggesting that school practices are a key factor in student success.

627

Students ?

21.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,763

Per pupil spending ?

82.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

77-800 Calle Tampico
La Quinta, CA 92253-3841

(760) 238-9424

District: Desert Sands Unified

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	La Quinta Middle
High:	La Quinta High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.2%

White:

13.6%

Two or more races:

4.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Benjamin Franklin Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 51st percentile in 2013 → 39th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (33% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2013

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg33%

California avg41%

3,601^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 49% (2015) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 19Elementary 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	34.8	3601 of 5857	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.8	3710 of 5869	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.8	3992 of 5859	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.1	3691 of 5883	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.1	3243 of 5789	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.3	2938 of 5662	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.9	2928 of 5692	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	61.6	1919 of 5614	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	42.5	2885 of 5611	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.6	2713 of 5530	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.5	2425 of 5390	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.5	2449 of 5377	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.7	1894 of 5314	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	45.6	2724 of 5193	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.1	2101 of 5113	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.4	2089 of 5113	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	26.3	1674 of 2227	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.6	1206 of 2585	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.2	1127 of 2128	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	28.9	2613 of 3162	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.9	2327 of 3245	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.4	2794 of 3311	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.1	890 of 3275	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	51.6	1175 of 3246	63.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.1	3378 of 5597	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.2	3777 of 5612	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.5	3704 of 5609	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.5	3366 of 5635	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.1	3337 of 5492	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.0	3025 of 5413	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.2	2854 of 5107	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.4	2725 of 5107	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.0	3542 of 5087	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.8	2467 of 5084	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.2	2596 of 4963	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.2	2019 of 4830	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.0	3267 of 5460	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.1	2983 of 5517	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.3	3541 of 5363	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.2	2748 of 5264	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.1	2816 of 5173	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.2	2533 of 5084	50.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.4	3514 of 5628	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.5	3383 of 5643	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.9	3963 of 5638	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.4	3748 of 5663	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	2921 of 5510	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.4	2701 of 5431	50.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	1859 of 2847	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.9	2273 of 2420	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.6	1860 of 2598	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.1	1992 of 2651	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.9	1838 of 2661	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.3	2361 of 2726	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.9	1703 of 2834	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.4	1971 of 2737	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)44th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)40th percentile~ school

Female (2025)40th percentile~ school

Male (2025)38th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)35th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)28th percentile-10 vs school

Disabled (2022)25th percentile-12 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)17th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy38%-11 vs state

Science29%-4 vs state

Mathematics28%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Benjamin Franklin 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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					% 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/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 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 6th 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 6th 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
Benjamin Franklin Elementary	Public	K-5	77-800 Calle Tampico	La Quinta	92253	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 238-9424	627	29	21.6	82.1%	85 (13.6%)	10 (1.6%)	503 (80.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	25 (4.0%)	34.8	3601^st of 5857 public elementary schools	38.5%		32.8	3710^th of 5869 public elementary schools	36.8%	109	29.1	29.1	25.7	37.6	51.5		38.0	26.6	33.7	25.2		28.4	97.3		98.2		98.2		$25,763	$24,064	$1,699
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%)	47	2759^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.9%		42	3071^st of 5869 public elementary schools	47.7%	312	29.4	29.4	43.2	52.3	39.5		45.0	32.4	54.2	27.5		37.9							$24,475	$22,626	$1,849
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%)	48.1	2691^st of 5857 public elementary schools	54.1%		43.6	2954^th of 5869 public elementary schools	49.7%	263	37.5	37.5	40.9	47.2	48.4		45.5	43.3	36.8	26.8		35.6	96.8			98.1	97.5	98.1	$24,892	$23,270	$1,622
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%)	83.6	983^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	83.2%		80.5	1136^th of 5869 public elementary schools	80.6%	153	59.3	59.3	60.9	68.2	63.7		64.2	59.8	63.5	57.5		60.0	93.6	96.3	97.3		96.3	98.2	$27,245	$25,536	$1,709
Mountain Vista Elementary	Public	K-6	49-750 Hjorth St.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Coachella Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 775-6888	599	28	21.3	76.8%	13 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	575 (96.0%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	28	4134^th of 5857 public elementary schools	29.4%		29.2	3996^th of 5869 public elementary schools	31.9%	138	17.2	17.2	42.3	31.1	24.7	33.3	32.5	40.9	31.9	14.9	22.5	27.1	95.4				95.4		$22,143	$16,984	$5,159
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%)	10.5	5603^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	4.3%		15.5	5261^st of 5869 public elementary schools	10.4%	342	7.6	7.6	14.6	28.6	14.0		20.0	6.3	15.7	7.6		10.3							$29,021	$27,116	$1,905
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%)	69.3	1635^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.1%		73.6	1425^th of 5869 public elementary schools	75.7%	210	35.8	35.8	47.9	63.5	63.2		58.4	41.5	55.8	61.1		52.9	96.1	98.0	98.0		96.1	98.0	$24,527	$22,930	$1,597
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	592	26	22.7	81.1%	13 (2.2%)	3 (0.5%)	546 (92.2%)	17 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	8 (1.4%)	30.5	3918^th of 5857 public elementary schools	33.1%		30.2	3907^th of 5869 public elementary schools	33.4%	11	25.8	25.8	32.0	39.5	33.3		34.7	27.8	32.5	23.7		27.8	97.5	98.4		98.4	97.5	98.4	$27,585	$25,424	$2,161
George Washington Charter	Public, Charter	K-5	45-768 Portola Ave.	Palm Desert	92260	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 862-4350	746	29	25.7	50.3%	372 (49.9%)	6 (0.8%)	268 (35.9%)	38 (5.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (8.0%)	89.7	681^st of 5857 public elementary schools	88.4%		89.9	707^th of 5869 public elementary schools	88.0%	26	64.7	64.7	65.6	71.9	70.6		69.4	69.6	70.3	62.2		67.5	94.5	98.4		98.4	95.3	98.4	$31,557	$31,494	$63
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%)	8	5739^th of 5857 public elementary schools	2.0%		10	5686^th of 5869 public elementary schools	3.1%	53	6.7	6.7	12.8	16.7	8.3		12.7	20.9	10.6	1.7		12.3	95.5				95.5		$30,603	$28,610	$1,993

Frequently Asked Questions about Benjamin Franklin Elementary

How many students attend Benjamin Franklin Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 627 students attended Benjamin Franklin Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Benjamin Franklin Elementary?

Students at Benjamin Franklin Elementary are 80% Hispanic, 14% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Benjamin Franklin Elementary attend?

Students who attend Benjamin Franklin Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : La Quinta Middle
High : La Quinta High

Is Benjamin Franklin Elementary a good school?

Benjamin Franklin Elementary ranks 3601^st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Benjamin Franklin Elementary in?

Desert Sands Unified

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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.