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What's the vibe like in the hallways at Desert Sands Charter right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
727
High
STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DESERT SANDS CHARTER DISTRICT·NCES 060178408714
Desert Sands Charter
44130 20th St. West, Lancaster, CA 93534 · (661) 942-3357 · Los Angeles County
GRADES 08–12HIGH21-SUBURBCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL727 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
,
Teacher data unavailable
STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
79%
572 students
STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 234 | 32% |
| Grade 10 | 267 | 37% |
| Grade 11 | 161 | 22% |
| Grade 12 | 65 | 9% |
Student demographics
59%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Schools most like Desert Sands Charter
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Sands Charter this school | 727 | 78.7% | N/A |
| SAVA - Sacramento Academic and Vocational Academy - SCUSD Sacramento | 672 | 83.5% | N/A |
| Options for Youth-Victor Valley Charter Victorville | 886 | 85.6% | N/A |
| Lakeview Leadership Academy Victorville | 901 | 82.7% | 19.7% |
| Madison High San Diego | 780 | 80.8% | 30.6% |
| Rosamond High Early College Campus Rosamond | 927 | 79.8% | 26.5% |
Matched among California high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Desert Sands Charter ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 727 | #874 of 2,093 | #194 of 486 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 58.7% | #444 of 1,351 | #65 of 359 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 78.7% | #646 of 1,575 | #246 of 396 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
727
-74 (-9%) vs 2020
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 727 | N/A | N/A | 79% (572) |
| 2023-24 | 690 | 36.7 | 18.8:1 | 83% (576) |
| 2022-23 | 742 | 36.8 | 20.2:1 | 85% (629) |
| 2020-21 | 801 | 38 | 21.1:1 | 78% (624) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desert Sands Charter.
About Desert Sands Charter
Students in Lancaster, California, attend Desert Sands Charter, a mid-sized high school. The school counted 727 students in 2024-25, covering grades 8 through 12.
Desert Sands Charter District operates Desert Sands Charter.
At Desert Sands Charter, 59% of students are Hispanic. Smaller groups are 15% multiracial, 13% Black, and 11% White. For comparison, the population of Los Angeles County is roughly 48% Hispanic. The diversity index for Desert Sands Charter is 59%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility at Desert Sands Charter is about 79%. The rate at public schools in Los Angeles County averages 70%, lower than here.
Los Angeles County is the school's county. There, median household income comes to about $90,112, 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Los Angeles County's 2,244 public schools enroll about 1,265,907 students and include Desert Sands Charter.
Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, Lancaster Alternative and Virtual Academies, is about 0.6 miles. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools.
Federal records code the school's setting as Suburb: Large. Desert Sands Charter is a public charter school.
Since 2020-21, enrollment has fallen 9%, from 801 to 727.
Use the discussion section to ask about special education services, counseling, and support programs at Desert Sands Charter. You can also rate the school on this page.
Los Angeles County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
9,808,667
Census ACS
Median income
$90,112
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
2,244
1,265,907 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Lancaster
- Assurance Learning AcademyHigh · 3,014 students
- Lancaster HighHigh · 2,688 students
- Eastside HighHigh · 2,631 students
- Antelope Valley HighHigh · 1,498 students
- Sundown ElementaryElementary · 941 students
- Amargosa Creek MiddleMiddle · 859 students
Nearby schools
- Lancaster Alternative and Virtual Academies0.6 mi · 282
- Sunnydale Elementary0.6 mi · 469
- Amargosa Creek Middle0.9 mi · 859
- John and Jacquelyn Miller Elementary0.9 mi · 697
- Empower Generations1.0 mi · 81
- Sierra Elementary1.1 mi · 707
Frequently asked questions
About Desert Sands CharterHow many students attend Desert Sands Charter?
Desert Sands Charter enrolls approximately 727 students in grades 08-12.
Is Desert Sands Charter an elementary, middle, or high school?
Desert Sands Charter is a high school covering grades 08-12.
How diverse is Desert Sands Charter?
Desert Sands Charter reports a student body of 11% White, 59% Hispanic, 13% Black, 1% Asian, 15% Two or more.
Who oversees Desert Sands Charter?
Desert Sands Charter is overseen by Desert Sands Charter District in Los Angeles County.
Where is Desert Sands Charter located?
Desert Sands Charter is located at 44130 20th St. West, Lancaster, CA 93534.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.