La Quinta Middle

La Quinta Middle is one of the middle-of-the-pack 6-8 campuss in La Quinta, California, run under Desert Sands Unified, with 709 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 8.

Within Desert Sands Unified, which oversees 34 schools and 25,613 students, La Quinta Middle is one campus in the system.

Demographically, La Quinta Middle records that 78% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. The remainder consists of 11% White, 7% multiracial. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 51%.

In terms of school funding signals, La Quinta Middle reports 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 23.4:1. The state averages around 20.7:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 85% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably above Riverside County's rate of about 74%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, La Quinta Middle tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 28.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 27.3%.

Across the wider county, Riverside County reports that the typical household earns roughly $93,074 per year, 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Riverside County runs 543 public schools (combined enrollment of about 424,872 students), of which La Quinta Middle is one.

Harry S. Truman Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts La Quinta Middle at 8th of 9; the average score across the group is 36.9%.

The school occupies a residential site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at La Quinta Middle has increased 26%, going from 563 students in 2018 to 709 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.