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

Sunny Sands Elementary

Q: Is Sunny Sands Elementary a good school?

Sunny Sands Elementary ranks 2278 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2278^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 61% of California elementary schools

Summary

Sunny Sands Elementary is a K-5 public school serving about 692 students in Cathedral City as part of the Palm Springs Unified School District, and it stands out for achieving strong academic results in a high-need community where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school consistently outperforms most other schools in the district with similar demographics, with proficiency rates in math and English that are nearly double the district average. It shows exceptional strength in supporting vulnerable groups, such as English learners and students experiencing homelessness, who achieve some of the highest rankings in the state. Furthermore, Sunny Sands has been very successful in getting students to school regularly, maintaining a chronic absenteeism rate that is less than half the district average, which is a key factor in its stability and success.

When compared to nearby schools like Cielo Vista Charter, Sunny Sands is the highest-performing traditional public school in its area, though the charter school shows what might be possible with higher per-student funding. The school has shown a strong recovery since the pandemic, but parents should note there is a noticeable dip in 4th-grade scores and some inconsistency in special education performance, which the school may be working to address.

692

Students ?

20.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,063

Per pupil spending ?

93.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

69-310 McCallum Way
Cathedral City, CA 92234-2997

(760) 770-8635

District: Palm Springs Unified

Students who attend Sunny Sands Elementary usually attend:

High:

Rancho Mirage High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

84.2%

White:

7.4%

Asian:

4.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Sunny Sands Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 62nd percentile in 2013 → 61st in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Palm Springs Unified

✓Above the California median (61st percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg27%

California avg41%

2,278^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 39%▲ up 23 pts since 2015

From bottom 38% (2015) to top 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 16Elementary Schools in the Palm Springs Unified

1147^th of 1,543Palm 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
2025	55.5	2278 of 5857	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.8	2355 of 5869	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	2226 of 5859	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.2	2440 of 5883	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.6	2728 of 5789	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.7	2536 of 5662	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.0	1918 of 5692	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	51.0	2443 of 5614	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	33.0	3468 of 5611	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	60.0	2111 of 5530	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.3	1823 of 5390	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.1	2023 of 5377	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.9	1634 of 5314	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.1	1865 of 5193	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	53.2	2214 of 5113	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	48.7	2400 of 5113	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	37.5	2855 of 4818	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	36.5	2923 of 4822	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	36.9	2816 of 4809	41.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	40.1	1071 of 2227	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	20.9	1923 of 2128	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	62.4	635 of 3162	79.9%	★★★★☆
2023	78.4	290 of 3245	91.1%	★★★★★
2022	77.5	334 of 3311	89.9%	★★★★☆
2019	49.2	1298 of 3275	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.8	1458 of 3246	55.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.1	2234 of 5597	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.3	2257 of 5612	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.8	2307 of 5609	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.8	2224 of 5635	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.9	2608 of 5492	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.7	2450 of 5413	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.1	1494 of 5107	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	64.1	1471 of 5107	71.2%	★★★★☆
2023	70.8	1143 of 5087	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	66.5	1316 of 5084	74.1%	★★★★☆
2019	53.9	2043 of 4963	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.0	1837 of 4830	62.0%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	91.0	13 of 429	97.0%	★★★★★
2024	87.1	26 of 364	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	85.9	29 of 335	91.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.3	1032 of 5460	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.7	1324 of 5517	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	74.6	1003 of 5363	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	72.3	1059 of 5264	79.9%	★★★★☆
2019	63.4	1546 of 5173	70.1%	★★★★☆
2018	62.1	1626 of 5084	68.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	55.4	2221 of 5628	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.6	2335 of 5643	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.3	2027 of 5638	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	2483 of 5663	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.4	2649 of 5510	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.2	2433 of 5431	55.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.9	1371 of 2847	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.4	1641 of 2635	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	63.0	1096 of 2834	61.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)97th percentile+36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)81st percentile+20 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)80th percentile+20 vs school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile+10 vs school

White (2019)61st percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)61st percentile~ school

Female (2025)60th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)52nd percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)52nd percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy48%~ state avg

Mathematics43%+6 vs state

Science36%+3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Sunny Sands Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Sunny Sands 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

Reviews

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

Schools Near Sunny Sands Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)				CSA Spanish Listening (2025)				CSA Spanish Writing (2025)				CSA Spanish Reading (2025)				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	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th 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
Sunny Sands Elementary	Public	K-5	69-310 McCallum Way	Cathedral City	92234	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 770-8635	692	33	20.9	93.4%	51 (7.4%)	6 (0.9%)	583 (84.2%)	34 (4.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.3%)	55.5	2278^th of 5857 public elementary schools	61.1%		53.8	2355^th of 5869 public elementary schools	59.9%	77																	36.0		36.0	52.3	39.1	52.7				48.0	50.0	37.3	41.8				43.0							$22,063	$1,868	$20,195
Landau Elementary	Public	K-5	30310 Landau Blvd.	Cathedral City	92234	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 770-8600	579	29	19.7	94.1%	40 (6.9%)	10 (1.7%)	474 (81.9%)	42 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.7%)	36	3497^th of 5857 public elementary schools	40.3%		35.9	3442^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	41.4%	55																	20.5		20.5	46.4	36.5	38.9				40.5	53.0	21.2	18.4				30.2	97.5	97.5			97.5	97.5	$21,743	$1,965	$19,778
Agua Caliente Elementary	Public	K-5	30-800 San Luis Rey Plaza	Cathedral City	92234	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 416-8235	645	32	20.2	93.3%	14 (2.2%)	10 (1.6%)	605 (93.8%)	7 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.1%)	20.9	4750^th of 5857 public elementary schools	18.9%		22.3	4645^th of 5869 public elementary schools	20.9%	105																	17.1		17.1	24.8	15.3	44.8				28.1	30.4	11.5	18.9				19.9	95.7				96.8		$20,819	$1,923	$18,896
Cathedral City Elementary	Public	K-5	69300 Converse Rd.	Cathedral City	92234	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 770-8583	606	33	18.6	96.5%	16 (2.6%)	9 (1.5%)	564 (93.1%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	23.2	4566^th of 5857 public elementary schools	22.0%		20.8	4784^th of 5869 public elementary schools	18.5%	218																	16.7		16.7	29.9	31.7	31.7				31.2	25.3	26.0	20.6				23.9	94.9	97.4			94.9		$20,947	$1,699	$19,248
Rio Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	67-700 Verona Rd.	Cathedral City	92234	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 416-0032	637	31	20.7	91.2%	64 (10.0%)	12 (1.9%)	503 (79.0%)	24 (3.8%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.8%)	27 (4.2%)	36.7	3431^st of 5857 public elementary schools	41.4%		36.4	3408^th of 5869 public elementary schools	41.9%	23																	20.2		20.2	35.4	47.7	37.2				40.2	38.4	39.5	20.4				32.4							$20,435	$1,707	$18,728
Cielo Vista Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	650 South Paseo Dorotea	Palm Springs	92264	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 416-8250	824	41	20.1	92.7%	68 (8.3%)	14 (1.7%)	674 (81.8%)	42 (5.1%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.7%)	65.4	1822^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	68.9%		64.1	1872^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	68.1%	50																	22.4	26.9	24.9	68.8	54.0	48.2	56.1	69.4	63.0	60.1	66.3	63.2	36.9	39.5	42.6	28.7	44.9							$28,634	$2,796	$25,838
Della S. Lindley Elementary	Public	K-5	31-495 Robert Rd.	Thousand Palms	92276	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 343-7570	552	29	19.3	92.6%	35 (6.3%)	8 (1.4%)	493 (89.3%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.1%)	23.6	4536^th of 5857 public elementary schools	22.6%		24.5	4411^th of 5869 public elementary schools	24.8%	125																	20.4		20.4	36.6	22.2	32.4				30.6	30.1	23.3	16.7				23.0	95.7	98.3	98.3	98.3	96.5		$22,094	$2,198	$19,896
Katherine Finchy Elementary	Public	K-5	777 East Tachevah Dr.	Palm Springs	92262	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 416-8190	464	23	20.1	87.9%	75 (16.2%)	44 (9.5%)	304 (65.5%)	22 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.7%)	42.6	3032^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	48.2%		47.7	2692^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	54.1%	340																	25.6		25.6	44.8	39.5	39.7				41.2	38.8	46.3	26.9				37.4	92.7	95.6		95.6	95.6	95.6	$21,693	$1,933	$19,760
Cahuilla Elementary	Public	K-5	833 East Mesquite Ave.	Palm Springs	92264	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 416-8161	399	21	19.1	91.5%	45 (11.3%)	36 (9.0%)	284 (71.2%)	12 (3.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)	20.1	4820^th of 5857 public elementary schools	17.7%		32.2	3772^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	35.7%	1048																	9.4		9.4	28.8	31.8	25.4				28.7	27.6	32.3	7.8				22.3	95.5				97.0		$21,900	$1,774	$20,126
Vista del Monte Elementary	Public	K-5	2744 North Via Miraleste	Palm Springs	92262	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 416-8176	435	23	19.0	95.4%	23 (5.3%)	7 (1.6%)	390 (89.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	18.6	4953^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	15.4%		27.2	4188^th of 5869 public elementary schools	28.6%	765	2.9	18.5	9.7	9.7	22.9	14.8	29.0	22.6	2.9	25.9	6.5	10.8	2.9	14.8	6.5	7.5	23.5		23.5	8.1	12.8	37.7				20.6	14.5	20.9	20.0				18.9	87.5	95.3	96.9		90.6	92.2	$22,429	$2,077	$20,352

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunny Sands Elementary

What district is Sunny Sands Elementary in?

Palm Springs Unified

How many students attend Sunny Sands Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 692 students attended Sunny Sands Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sunny Sands Elementary?

Students at Sunny Sands Elementary are 84% Hispanic, 7% White, 5% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

Is Sunny Sands Elementary a good school?

Sunny Sands Elementary ranks 2278^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sunny Sands Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sunny Sands Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Rancho Mirage High

Rate Sunny Sands Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Cathedral City, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Sunny Sands 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.