Bubbling Wells Elementary, Desert Hot Springs CA

Original Research by School Decision on Bubbling Wells Elementary

Bubbling Wells Elementary is a small public elementary school in Desert Hot Springs serving kindergarten through fifth grade. The enrollment is modest, spread across six grade levels. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic. White, Black, and Asian students make up a small proportion of the school community. The school does not report separate data on English learner or special education enrollment.

State test results in math and English language arts from the most recent assessment year show proficiency rates that sit well below what the state reports as typical. In math, proficiency ranged from the low teens in fourth grade up to the low twenties in third grade; overall across the tested grades, about one in six students met proficiency. In English language arts, results were somewhat stronger but still modest, with about one in four students meeting proficiency overall. Fifth-grade science proficiency was around one in four students. When measured against other schools tested in Riverside County, this school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile of county schools.

These numbers reflect a school where a large share of students are not yet meeting grade-level standards on state assessments. A parent considering this school may want to look further into the school's reading and math intervention practices, tutoring or small-group support offerings, and how the school works with families on literacy and numeracy at home. The data provided does not indicate the rates of chronic absenteeism or offer information on classroom size, teacher experience, or curriculum approach, so those are worth asking about directly.

Desert Hot Springs itself is a small desert city in the Coachella Valley known for its natural hot mineral springs and a wellness-oriented economy, with affordable residential neighborhoods. The local job market centers on health care and social assistance, retail trade, and hospitality and accommodation services. Housing in the area is reasonably priced relative to broader Riverside County and the state, and the city describes itself as growth-oriented with available land for expansion. Most residents drive to work in a car-oriented environment.

The school sits within Palm Springs Unified School District. In November voters approved Measure S, a major facilities bond that will fund modernization of aging school buildings across the district over time. The bond package includes completing upgrades at Cathedral City High School and improvements to schools across the district's aging portfolio. The measure carries a property-tax levy that officials framed as extending rather than raising the existing rate. This signals a district-level commitment to infrastructure that families will see unfold over coming years.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 32% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 25% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 21% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 34% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 29% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 36% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 21% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolPalm Springs 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.