Chemehuevi Valley Elementary

Set in Havasu Lake, California, Chemehuevi Valley Elementary is a very small K-5 school, one of the schools within Needles Unified. It serves 40 students across grades K through 5. By comparison, California's public schools average about 465 students each, so Chemehuevi Valley Elementary sits 91% leaner than that benchmark.

Needles Unified runs 7 schools in total, collectively educating 921 students. Chemehuevi Valley Elementary is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Chemehuevi Valley Elementary records that 53% of students identify as Native American, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school records 40% Hispanic, 5% Black, 3% multiracial.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Chemehuevi Valley Elementary logs 2 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 19.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Chemehuevi Valley Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 83% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against San Bernardino County (around 74%), the school's rate is north of typical.

Around the school, community-level numbers for San Bernardino County indicate the typical household earns roughly $85,478 per year, 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, San Bernardino County runs 583 public schools (combined enrollment of about 393,648 students), of which Chemehuevi Valley Elementary is one.

Nearest neighbor: Nautilus Elementary School, around 3.7 miles off. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Chemehuevi Valley Elementary has fell 11%, going from 45 students in 2018 to 40 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share rose from 27% to 40%. Class-load math has fell: from 22.5:1 in 2018 to 19.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.