45700 Apache Rd
Indian Wells, CA 92210

As a Charter School, my expectations were much higher. My child had been struggling in some areas, but I never received any kind of communication from the teachers. I get constant emails from Band and Color Guard begging parents to volunteer and provide donations, but NEVER from teachers regarding the progress/struggles of my child. In my opinion, they are more concerned with receiving money and the student uniform policy, rather than the student's education. Despite having security guards everywhere, there are still fights happening regularly. On one occasion, my child was pulled from class twice by a security guard for something that was, in my opinion, a misunderstanding. My child was given lunch detention and yet, I never received a note or a call from the school about the incident, or that my child was receiving detention. Of all the schools in the district, this is the only school that doesn't provide scholarships to local Summer camps...even Washington Charter provides a limited number of spots for their students. I had concerns regarding my child having any kind of online access and emailed the teachers about it...I will say that I was happy with how each of them responded to my email and supported me, but I included the Principal in the email and I never received a response from her. I have an older child that has attended other public schools in the district, and I honestly can't say the experience going to PDCMS has been any different.

This school is large enough to have something for everybody: academics, sports, clubs, music, and career tracts. All three of my children have attended with great results. Our priorities are academic, social, clubs, art, sports, music, career tract, in that order. They transferred from private to public and still made friends. PDHS had 23 AP courses when my oldest started, which was more than the local, private high school. This metric was one of our main deciding points. The AP Capstone program is now available and its Seminar and Research components really prepare students for the critical thinking and writing required by top colleges. There is an array of clubs and the opportunity for students to form their own club. In some ways PDHS has become a magnet school to draw in families from the surrounding region Another factor that became more important with Covid was the dual - enrollment program with College of the Desert, a top CA community college down the street. Palm Desert High School students can take many types of courses there, for free, and receive college credit. High school students can take some courses at PDHS and many more online or in person at College of the Desert's campus. On average, COD's courses were about as difficult as AP classes, and it is entirely possible for a student to complete high school with one year of college already earned. And if this is the route your student decides to take, transfer students from CA community colleges are more likely to be admitted to a top UC.

Hi I am student in this school, I heard that there are lot of fights in this school. But,when I went there, it was fine there were slushy for lunch and soda,chips. And everyone is very nice and respectful!

Gerald R. Ford Elementary is a vibrant, welcoming school community where students thrive both academically and emotionally. The staff is incredibly supportive, and families are truly valued as partners in student success.One of our proudest moments was being named a 2025 California Distinguished School—a testament to the hard work of our entire school community. We also recently unveiled our “Personal Best” Ford Falcon mural, created by local artist and Ford parent John Cueves, which beautifully reflects our school spirit and commitment to excellence.