District overview
At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
4,974
NCES CCD 2024–25, where reported
Open schools
12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
20.9:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$15,165
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$8,516
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
KG–12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
District interpretation
What the numbers say about Sierra Sands Unified
Sierra Sands Unified operates 12 current public-school records serving grades KG–12 in Ridgecrest, California. NCES reports 4,974 students and 237.84 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
By reported enrollment, the district ranks 268 of 2014 California districts with data. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $15,165 in current expenditure per pupil and $8,516 per pupil assigned to instruction. This places reported current spending 1355 of 1893 districts in California. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and district responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Student context
Needs schools plan for
- English learners
- 6%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 15.8%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 237.84
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $77,159,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Sierra Sands Unified location
Ridgecrest, California · 35.6333, -117.6716. This is the NCES EDGE district-office point, not an attendance boundary.
Open exact point in OpenStreetMap →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White46%
- Hispanic34.6%
- Black7.9%
- Asian3.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.6%
- Multiracial6.6%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25 where reported, otherwise CRDC 2021–22. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Interactive campus directory
Explore schools in Sierra Sands Unified
12 current directory entries
Filter by school level or name, then sort by enrollment or reported student–teacher ratio.
Showing 12 of 12 schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Lake Junior High | Middle | 07–08 | 643 | 21.7:1 |
| Faller Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 516 | 23.9:1 |
| Gateway Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 346 | 24.6:1 |
| High Desert | High | 07–12 | — | — |
| Inyokern Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 161 | 23:1 |
| Las Flores Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 526 | 25.5:1 |
| Mesquite Continuation High | High | 09–12 | 95 | 13.8:1 |
| Pierce Academy of the Arts | Elementary | KG–06 | 297 | 19:1 |
| Richmond Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 364 | 16.5:1 |
| Sherman E. Burroughs High | High | 09–12 | 1,536 | 20.4:1 |
| Sierra Vista Education Center | Other | M–M | — | — |
| Vieweg STEM Academy | Elementary | KG–08 | — | — |