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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its California rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Desert Springs Middle

Public Grades 6-8

2476^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,740 California Middle Schools

Better than 10% of California middle schools

Summary

Desert Springs Middle serves 749 students in grades 6–8 in Desert Hot Springs, within Palm Springs Unified. In 2025–26, 25% of students were proficient in English language arts (ELA), 11% in math and 16% in science. Chronic absenteeism was 44%, compared with 18% statewide and 31% districtwide. The most important concern is that low results across all three subjects coincide with the second-highest chronic absenteeism rate among nearby schools.

Results trail both the district and state in every subject, and Desert Springs is at or near the bottom among nearby schools. Its ELA proficiency was 12 percentage points below the district and 25 points below the state; it ranked lowest among the eight nearby schools with results. Math was 12 points below the district and 27 below the state, with just one nearby school scoring lower. Science is a relative bright spot compared with the district and nearby-school average, but proficiency was still 3 points below the district and 20 below the state; only one nearby school ranked lower. The absenteeism rate was 13 points above the district and 26 above the state, and only Painted Hills was higher among nearby schools.

ELA and science have improved since 2022–23, while math has slipped: ELA rose 5 percentage points and science 8, but math fell 2 as the state’s math result improved, widening the school-state gap. SchoolDigger ranks Desert Springs in the 10th percentile with 0 stars for 2025–26; its percentile rose from 8 the year before but remains low. The 2024–25 free/reduced lunch eligible measure was 97%, and the student-teacher ratio was 20.3, below the nearby-school average of 21.8. SchoolDigger’s statewide measure for how well it serves African American students was at the 25th percentile in 2024–25, compared with the school’s overall 8th percentile that year. Its measure for how well it serves homeless students fell from the 53rd percentile in 2023–24 to the 5th in 2024–25, then stood at the 12th percentile in 2025–26; subgroup rankings can fluctuate when few students are represented.

749

Students ?

20.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,431

Per pupil spending ?

96.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

66-755 Two Bunch Palms Trail
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240-5775

(760) 251-7200

District: Palm Springs Unified

Students who attend Desert Springs Middle usually attend:

High:

Desert Hot Springs High

Feeder schools for Desert Springs Middle:

Elementary:	Bubbling Wells Elementary
	Cabot Yerxa Elementary
	Della S. Lindley Elementary
	Julius Corsini Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

84.9%

White:

6.3%

African American:

5.1%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Desert Springs Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 12th percentile in 2015 → 10th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (18% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 18% California)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg27%

California avg42%

2,476^th of 2,740

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 10%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Middle Schools in the Palm Springs Unified

1141^st of 1,530Palm Springs 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	13.6	2476 of 2740	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	2533 of 2761	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.6	2415 of 2783	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.3	2481 of 2781	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.5	2197 of 2740	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.2	2131 of 2715	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.3	2069 of 2480	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.0	2108 of 2508	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.1	2102 of 2497	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	15.0	2186 of 2477	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	29.2	1736 of 2379	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	26.0	1767 of 2259	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	25.8	1755 of 2236	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.7	1586 of 2179	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	24.7	1609 of 2063	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	26.2	1530 of 2005	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	14.4	1793 of 1999	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	19.0	1511 of 1804	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	11.9	1638 of 1777	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	17.0	1522 of 1769	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.6	454 of 609	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	469 of 627	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.2	397 of 613	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.7	353 of 637	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.1	482 of 643	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.7	505 of 600	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	35.1	893 of 1531	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.1	1203 of 1491	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.6	966 of 1369	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	30.3	1208 of 1478	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.2	963 of 1521	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.9	898 of 1540	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.3	1104 of 1442	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	1048 of 1364	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	14.4	2270 of 2516	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.0	2332 of 2533	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	2180 of 2551	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.1	2250 of 2531	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.1	1976 of 2509	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.5	1840 of 2380	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.1	1907 of 2262	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	17.1	2067 of 2357	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.0	2146 of 2395	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	2005 of 2388	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	2080 of 2374	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.6	1833 of 2359	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	1562 of 2213	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	1678 of 2072	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	21.0	387 of 442	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.2	451 of 477	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	44.6	184 of 394	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	24.7	266 of 320	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	2266 of 2529	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.4	2268 of 2542	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	2129 of 2579	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.7	2168 of 2531	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.0	1734 of 2458	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	1713 of 2369	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.5	1734 of 2230	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	12.9	2308 of 2514	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.2	2364 of 2534	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.1	2287 of 2552	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.2	2290 of 2538	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.9	2060 of 2527	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.5	2041 of 2407	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.7	1910 of 2273	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	17.7	1557 of 1605	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	23.6	1330 of 1566	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.8	1466 of 1552	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	1215 of 1531	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	4.5	1484 of 1520	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	1205 of 1537	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.2	1276 of 1543	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.4	1023 of 1555	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	13.6	1411 of 1602	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.6	1166 of 1496	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)42nd percentile+22 vs school

African American (2025)25th percentile+17 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)18th percentile+5 vs school

Homeless (2026)12th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)12th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)10th percentile~ school

Female (2026)10th percentile~ school

Male (2026)8th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)3rd percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)2nd percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy25%-25 vs state

Science16%-20 vs state

Mathematics11%-27 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Desert Springs Middle

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Desert Springs Middle

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CSA Spanish Overall (2026)				CSA Spanish Listening (2026)				CSA Spanish Writing (2026)				CSA Spanish Reading (2026)				CAST Science (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				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	CSA Spanish Overall 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	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
Desert Springs Middle	Public	6-8	66-755 Two Bunch Palms Trail	Desert Hot Springs	92240	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 251-7200	749	37	20.3	96.7%	47 (6.3%)	38 (5.1%)	636 (84.9%)	6 (0.8%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.1%)	13.6	2476^th of 2740 public middle schools	9.6%		12.6	2533^rd of 2761 public middle schools	8.3%	57																	15.9	15.9	17.5	26.4	30.1	24.7	9.2	9.8	14.1	10.9	$20,431	$19,336	$1,095
Painted Hills Middle	Public	6-8	9250 Sonora Dr.	Desert Hot Springs	92240	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 251-1551	722	33	21.6	97.2%	64 (8.9%)	35 (4.8%)	578 (80.1%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (5.3%)	14.5	2449^th of 2740 public middle schools	10.6%		15.2	2433^rd of 2761 public middle schools	11.9%	16																	13.3	13.3	28.4	19.2	29.8	26.0	15.5	9.2	11.5	12.2	$20,451	$19,582	$869
Raymond Cree Middle	Public	6-8	1011 Vista Chino	Palm Springs	92262	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 416-8283	721	37	19.6	97.1%	78 (10.8%)	48 (6.7%)	533 (73.9%)	23 (3.2%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (4.6%)	32.9	1718^th of 2740 public middle schools	37.3%		35.8	1624^th of 2761 public middle schools	41.2%	94	3.9	9.8	3.5	6.3	15.4	22.0	13.8	17.7	15.4	19.5	6.9	14.6	3.9	7.3	3.5	5.2	28.5	28.5	36.4	35.2	42.0	37.9	24.0	23.7	25.2	24.3	$22,004	$20,930	$1,074
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%)	36.8	1600^th of 2740 public middle schools	41.6%		42	1430^th of 2761 public middle schools	48.2%	170																	20.4	20.4	40.1	40.6	45.3	41.9	28.4	24.6	31.8	28.1	$20,481	$19,594	$887
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%)	20.8	2182^nd of 2740 public middle schools	20.4%		24.9	2010^th of 2761 public middle schools	27.2%	172																	18.5	18.5	29.0	30.3	37.9	32.3	13.3	18.6	15.5	15.8	$19,745	$18,724	$1,021
La Contenta Middle	Public	7-8	7050 La Contenta Rd.	Yucca Valley	92277	San Bernardino County	Morongo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 228-1802	647	33	19.5	70.2%	349 (53.9%)	30 (4.6%)	232 (35.9%)	8 (1.2%)	8 (1.2%)	6 (0.9%)	13 (2.0%)	23.9	2047^th of 2740 public middle schools	25.3%		29.4	1847^th of 2761 public middle schools	33.1%	200																	25.7	25.7		36.2	28.2	32.4		20.1	14.0	17.2	$21,908	$20,336	$1,572
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%)	72.1	642^nd of 2740 public middle schools	76.6%		64.2	802^nd of 2761 public middle schools	71.0%	160																	40.6	40.6	61.6	67.3	63.5	64.1	43.9	46.7	38.8	42.8	$29,144	$28,914	$230
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%)	28.3	1894^th of 2740 public middle schools	30.9%		26.3	1945^th of 2761 public middle schools	29.6%	51																	26.0	26.0	28.3	43.8	35.6	35.7	21.6	25.6	15.5	20.7	$24,883	$22,806	$2,077
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%)	17.1	2347^th of 2740 public middle schools	14.3%		20.5	2200^th of 2761 public middle schools	20.3%	147																	22.7	22.7	23.9	32.4	30.5	29.0	10.1	12.8	9.4	10.8	$27,133	$24,602	$2,531

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Springs Middle

Is Desert Springs Middle a good school?

Desert Springs Middle ranks in the bottom 9.6% of California middle schools.

What district is Desert Springs Middle in?

Palm Springs Unified

What is the racial makeup of Desert Springs Middle?

Students at Desert Springs Middle are 85% Hispanic, 6% White, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Desert Springs Middle attend?

Students who attend Desert Springs Middle usually go on to attend Desert Hot Springs High

How many students attend Desert Springs Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 749 students attended Desert Springs Middle.

Rate Desert Springs Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Middle School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Desert Hot Springs, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Desert Springs Middle!

Latest California data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

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

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 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.