Joshua Tree Elementary, Joshua Tree CA

Original Research by School Decision on Joshua Tree Elementary

Joshua Tree Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in a small, high-desert community defined by its proximity to Joshua Tree National Park and its artist-rooted character. The school sits within Morongo Unified School District and draws from a residential town where the pandemic-era real estate boom has reshaped housing and demographics over the past few years.

The student body is economically disadvantaged: a large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Enrollment is small, spread across seven grades. The racial and ethnic composition is diverse, with roughly equal shares of Hispanic and white students, alongside smaller Black and multiracial populations.

State testing data for 2024-25 show proficiency rates that are low across both English language arts and mathematics. In ELA, proficiency improves as students move through the upper grades, with performance in grade five notably stronger than in the earlier grades, and grade six holding at roughly the midpoint between grade four and grade five. In math, proficiency declines sharply across grades three through six, dropping from the high teens in grade three to single digits by grade six. Science proficiency in grade five, the only science grade tested, sits in the mid-range of the school's overall academic picture. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among districts in San Bernardino County.

Only one year of state data is available, so trend analysis is not possible. A parent may want to look into the school's strategic priorities and interventions, particularly in mathematics, where the downward pattern by grade level warrants clarification. Without longer-term data or supplementary information on the school's reading and math programs, capacity for intervention, or student support systems, it is difficult to assess whether these results reflect emerging challenges, stable baseline conditions, or ongoing improvement work.

The housing market in Joshua Tree has experienced rapid change. Home values have declined slightly year-over-year but remain well above pre-pandemic levels. Rents have climbed over the same period. The affordability ratio for purchasing is moderate relative to national benchmarks, and rent-to-income is manageable, but the market's recent volatility from short-term-rental speculation and investor activity has reshaped neighborhood stability. Long-term rentals remain tight, and many properties have been converted to vacation use, affecting the demographic texture of the community.

The town itself is small and walkable in its commercial core, centered on Route 62 with local shops, galleries, and eateries. Beyond the downtown, the community is car-dependent, and the school is on its own campus rather than embedded in civic life. Recreation and transit services are managed by local district and county agencies, and Joshua Tree National Park anchors both tourism and local identity.

For families, Joshua Tree Elementary offers a small-school environment in a creative, close-knit desert community. Academic performance data signal that the school is working with students who face substantial economic and resource constraints, and the proficiency results suggest that reading and math instruction warrant close attention and conversation with school staff about classroom support and resources.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 32% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 32% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 18% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 25% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 32% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 38% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 35% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 38% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Science

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 24% · ▲ 4 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

This schoolMorongo 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.