Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Ronald Reagan Elementary

Q: Is Ronald Reagan Elementary a good school?

Ronald Reagan Elementary ranks 2544 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2544^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of California elementary schools

Summary

Ronald Reagan Elementary is a large, K-5 public school serving 808 students in the Desert Sands Unified district of Palm Desert, performing consistently near or above state averages in core subjects despite a significant population of economically disadvantaged students.

This school stands out in its district for its effective management of chronic absenteeism, which has improved dramatically to 16.5%, and for achieving solid academic results with relatively efficient per-student spending. It shows particular strength in supporting English Language Learner students. When compared to several nearby traditional public schools like James Madison Elementary, Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary, and John F. Kennedy Elementary—which have much lower statewide rankings—Ronald Reagan demonstrates that strong outcomes are possible even with similar community challenges.

While the school performs well overall, there are opportunities for improvement, particularly in science proficiency and in supporting certain student subgroups. The exceptional performance of George Washington Charter in the area provides a notable point of comparison, though it operates as a charter school. For families, Ronald Reagan Elementary represents a stable and effective option within the district that has shown resilience and an ability to implement successful programs for student engagement and learning.

808

Students ?

23.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,531

Per pupil spending ?

59%

Free/discounted lunch ?

39-800 Liberty Dr.
Palm Desert, CA 92211-9300

(760) 772-0456

District: Desert Sands Unified

Students who attend Ronald Reagan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Desert Ridge Academy
High:	Shadow Hills High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.0%

White:

15.2%

Two or more races:

6.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Ronald Reagan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2013 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the California median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2013

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg33%

California avg41%

2,544^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^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	51.2	2544 of 5857	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.2	2182 of 5869	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.8	1807 of 5859	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.2	2333 of 5883	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.1	1739 of 5789	70.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.4	1596 of 5662	71.8%	★★★★☆
2017	66.0	1754 of 5692	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	60.0	1991 of 5614	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.4	2598 of 5611	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.1	1995 of 5530	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.2	1717 of 5390	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	71.7	1412 of 5377	73.7%	★★★★☆
2010	52.2	2435 of 5314	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.1	1863 of 5193	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	43.5	2754 of 5113	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	49.6	2356 of 5113	53.9%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	34.9	1273 of 2227	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	1229 of 2585	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.0	694 of 2128	67.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	51.9	1082 of 3162	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.0	859 of 3245	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	37.3	2016 of 3311	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.4	849 of 3275	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	65.3	687 of 3246	78.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.3	2280 of 5597	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.5	2105 of 5612	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.2	1841 of 5609	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.5	2552 of 5635	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.4	1481 of 5492	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	1620 of 5413	70.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.3	1597 of 5107	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.6	1333 of 5107	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	73.3	1019 of 5087	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	61.5	1549 of 5084	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.0	1121 of 4963	77.4%	★★★★☆
2018	73.4	982 of 4830	79.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.7	2319 of 5460	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.5	1826 of 5517	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.5	1201 of 5363	77.6%	★★★★☆
2022	62.4	1544 of 5264	70.7%	★★★★☆
2019	39.6	3155 of 5173	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.3	1612 of 5084	68.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.2	2604 of 5628	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.4	2138 of 5643	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.9	1729 of 5638	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.2	1999 of 5663	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.6	1886 of 5510	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.6	1536 of 5431	71.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	10.6	656 of 718	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.6	1957 of 2847	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.0	889 of 2635	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.6	1170 of 2420	51.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	1562 of 2598	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.0	1732 of 2651	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.4	1312 of 2661	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.7	1834 of 2726	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.8	948 of 2834	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.4	926 of 2737	66.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)69th percentile+12 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)66th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)59th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)58th percentile~ school

Male (2025)54th percentile-3 vs school

Disabled (2022)43rd percentile-18 vs school

White (2025)40th percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2025)31st percentile-25 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)9th percentile-48 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy49%~ state avg

Mathematics37%~ state avg

Science32%~ state avg

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Ronald Reagan Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, April 5, 2010

This school is an empty shell. My daughter came here for two years as a girl scout and thought it was the greatest. Then we had to move, so we moved to where we could have her attend Ronald Reagan. Beautiful campus, but the staff is lacking. There are alot of young unexperienced teachers. The parent teacher conference is run by the student. My daughter has always been a happy kid, liking school. All ended since September. Close Quote

Schools Near Ronald Reagan Elementary

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 (2024)
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 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
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%)	51.2	2544^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.6%		57.2	2182^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	62.8%	362	32.0	32.0	51.2	47.6	49.2	49.3	50.4	31.0	31.3	37.4	95.1			97.9	96.5		$19,531	$3,122	$16,409
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	$20,257	$3,229	$17,028
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	$20,189	$3,104	$17,085
James Earl Carter Elementary	Public	K-5	74-251 Hovley Ln. East	Palm Desert	92260	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 862-4370	487	22	22.0	63.2%	128 (26.3%)	10 (2.1%)	251 (51.5%)	51 (10.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	43 (8.8%)	71.1	1550^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.5%		75.7	1344^th of 5869 public elementary schools	77.1%	206	48.9	48.9	55.6	44.9	66.3	56.1	54.9	47.4	52.2	51.6	89.9	93.3		95.5	94.4	95.5	$22,746	$3,433	$19,313
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	$19,984	$3,063	$16,921
Abraham Lincoln Elementary	Public	K-5	74-100 Rutledge Way	Palm Desert	92260	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 862-4340	607	24	25.2	86.7%	76 (12.5%)	7 (1.2%)	482 (79.4%)	18 (3.0%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.1%)	30.8	3894^th of 5857 public elementary schools	33.5%		23.6	4515^th of 5869 public elementary schools	23.1%	621	24.7	24.7	32.7	44.1	40.0	39.1	18.8	31.5	16.5	22.9	93.3		98.1	98.1	96.2		$20,048	$3,300	$16,748
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%)	36.1	3474^th of 5857 public elementary schools	40.7%		29.9	3932^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	33.0%	458	28.2	28.2	37.5	43.0	42.2	40.9	23.2	33.3	26.5	27.6							$21,142	$3,517	$17,625
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	$13,402	$335	$13,067
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							$22,309	$3,505	$18,804
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%)	13.9	5352^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	8.6%		12.5	5521^st of 5869 public elementary schools	5.9%	169	12.6	12.6	33.3	16.9	20.7	23.5	19.1	12.4	10.3	13.9	96.6						$21,865	$3,328	$18,537

Frequently Asked Questions about Ronald Reagan Elementary

Is Ronald Reagan Elementary a good school?

Ronald Reagan Elementary ranks 2544^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ronald Reagan Elementary?

Students at Ronald Reagan Elementary are 74% Hispanic, 15% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

What district is Ronald Reagan Elementary in?

Desert Sands Unified

What schools do graduates of Ronald Reagan Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ronald Reagan Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Desert Ridge Academy
High : Shadow Hills High

How many students attend Ronald Reagan Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 808 students attended Ronald Reagan Elementary.

Rate Ronald Reagan Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Palm Desert, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ronald Reagan Elementary!

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.