Desert Sands Unified School District primarily serves five communities in the central Coachella Valley of
California: Bermuda Dunes, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, and Palm Desert. Students from other areas
of the desert also take advantage of the quality education provided by our schools. 26,300 students
attend 34 schools in the district including traditional high schools, alternative high schools, middle
schools, elementary schools, and 16 preschools, including a federally funded Head Start program. Two
elementary schools currently offer full dual immersion in English/Spanish to kindergarteners and first
graders. Grades will be added each year and the additional schools will be offered in the future. DSUSD
is one of the larger employers in the valley with over 2,800 employees.
Students are provided with challenging educational choices. Desert Sands Unified School District offers
the highest level of opportunity for excellence in the preparation for entry to college as well as a number
of career technical education programs (CTE). Academically rigorous programs such as advanced
placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Program (IB), and Advancement Via Individual
Determination (AVID) are offered in both secondary and elementary grades. Career pathways and
academies focused on specific student interests include: animal science, automotive, aviation, bio-tech,
business/insurance, clean energy, culinary arts, education, engineering, environmental sciences, health,
information technology, landscape management, media, nutrition, and public health.
DSUSD operates on an annual budget of $501 million. Under the Local Control Funding Formula
(LCFF), DSUSD works with the local community to develop an LCAP (Local Control Accountability
Plan) that supports three specific goals. The goals are: 1) all students will demonstrate growth as
measured by state and federal assessments; 2) all students will graduate and be prepared to make a
successful transition to further education and/or career opportunities; 3) all students will develop and
consistently demonstrate responsible, respectful, and ethical behavior in a safe, clean, and orderly
learning environment. Based on community input at numerous meetings and via online surveys, the
district has committed to both community accountability and oversight.
Over 22% of our students are English language learners (ELL) with Spanish as their home language. Thirty-nine languages are spoken in our students’ homes. Thanks to current government funding, all DSUSD students are able to enjoy free breakfast and lunch at all of our schools.
DSUSD is proud to provide students with a high level of technology-interface and each student is
provided a Chromebook or tablet as part of the award winning Connect One-to-World initiative. In
addition connectivity to the internet is provided to students who do not have home access through the
district’s own LTE network. True to the district’s core value of equity, this program has been of utmost
importance during our current time of distance learning and was recognized in the House of
Representatives by Congressman Raul Ruiz, MD.
The district maintains its own fleet of busses and vehicles to better serve the student population. An on-site, well-trained security team works closely with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of students
and staff. A highly skilled and trained nutrition services department prepares meals on-site for delivery to
schools and participates in the development of staff wellness programs. The graphic services department
maintains a fully-operational print shop along with talented graphic artists to meet the needs of the district
and the local community.