Thomas Jefferson Middle, Indio CA

Original Research by School Decision on Thomas Jefferson Middle

Thomas Jefferson Middle is a six-through-eight-grade school in Indio, California, serving a student body of about five hundred students. The school sits within Desert Sands Unified School District, a district that in 2024 passed a substantial general obligation bond to modernize aging facilities across the system, with many buildings over five decades old.

Academic performance at Thomas Jefferson is very low across measured subjects. In mathematics, proficiency is extremely limited: fewer than one in twenty sixth graders meet proficiency benchmarks, while seventh and eighth grade proficiency rates are even lower. English language arts performance is somewhat stronger than math but remains quite limited; roughly one in five seventh and eighth graders are proficient, and sixth grade is lower still. Eighth-grade science proficiency is also very low. A test result from 2012-13 in social studies shows that slightly more than one in three students scored at proficient level, though this is a decade old and reflects a different state assessment framework. One year of current-year data means a parent cannot yet assess trajectory or trend.

The student population is predominantly Hispanic, making up the vast majority of the school, with very small numbers of white, Asian, and multiracial students. Notably, a very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating substantial economic hardship across the enrollment. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about the composition of support services and the number of newcomer or bilingual students.

Relative to other districts in Riverside County, Thomas Jefferson's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among measured county schools. The school carries no magnet or charter designation and operates as a regular public school.

Indio itself is a growing city in the Coachella Valley, increasingly known for development and in-migration from coastal Southern California. It is the valley's largest city and is widely publicized as the host of major music festivals. Housing in the area is substantially cheaper than coastal markets, though still marked by rising rents and maintained home prices. The everyday character is suburban and auto-oriented, with commercial activity concentrated along Highway 111 and in the historic downtown, where civic investment is underway. Parks and recreation facilities are plentiful. Public transit exists via SunLine's bus network, though transit connectivity is limited for a school-age household. Schools in the district, including Thomas Jefferson, are benefiting from facility modernization supported by the bond measure approved in 2024.

A parent considering Thomas Jefferson should understand that the school is currently performing well below proficiency benchmarks in core academics and sits below the county median on standardized measures. A family would want to speak directly with school leadership about the specific support pathways available, the composition of the student body by language and disability status, and the school's intervention strategies for students working below grade level.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 66%

School 6% · District 26% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 74%

School 4% · District 25% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 81%

School 1% · District 20% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 610%

School 10% · District 37% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 40% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 35% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Science

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 21% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 50% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

This schoolDesert Sands Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income10%Higher-income13%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income16%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income19%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income6%Higher-income7%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income4%Higher-income5%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income2%Higher-income0%1 pp gap