Palm Springs Unified School District

What Palm Springs Unified School District does

Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) is a public K-12 school district operating under California state education law and domiciled in the Coachella Valley (Riverside County). It serves over 18,450 students across 28 schools — 16 elementary schools (including one charter, Cielo Vista Charter), 5 middle schools, 4 comprehensive high schools, 1 alternative high school, and alternative education programs — spanning seven communities: Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Sky Valley, and Thousand Palms. The district serves a predominantly low-income population (92% of students) with a substantial English Learner population (28.5%), and reports a 91% high school graduation rate. Program offerings include 21 Career Academies/Pathways (DATA, HEAL, CAFE, RACE, Arts Institute, Manufacturing/Welding, Video Production), Spanish Dual Language Immersion, GATE, AVID, 18 Early Childhood Education sites, ELO-P expanded learning through Think Together, special education services ages 3-22, and a 24/7 Chromebook/laptop program.

The district's technology ecosystem is built on the Synergy Student Information System, with TeacherVUE/GradeBook for staff and ParentVUE for families (web and a 2025-launched mobile app). Supporting integrations include ParentSquare (family communication), Clever (SSO), GoGuardian (web filtering and device monitoring), Nutrislice (digital lunch menus), Power BI (internal facility analytics), Weglot (website translation), and an AlwaysOn AI chatbot for multilingual visitor assistance. Add-on technology services include Cakewalk extracurriculars (Esports, Robotics, Drone Soccer), Digital Citizenship curriculum, and home internet access/hotspots for students.

PSUSD is a government entity, not a corporation; it is governed by an elected five-member Board of Education and receives the majority of its operating funding through California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), supplemented by local property tax revenue, federal Title programs, and private donations channeled through the Foundation for PSUSD. Enrollment and standard K-12 education are free to families under California's Free School Guarantee. Distribution is direct to consumers through an Online Pre-Enrollment (OLR) system that auto-routes students to assigned schools based on home address, with intra- and inter-district transfers and Cielo Vista Charter as additional enrollment channels. The district employs 2,700+ staff and is led by Superintendent Dr. Marcus Funchess (joined July 1, 2025).

Name

Palm Springs Unified School District

Legal name

Palm Springs Unified School District

Website

https://psusd.us

Company type

Public

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Palm Springs Unified School District is a California public K-12 district serving 18,450+ students across 28 schools in seven Coachella Valley communities, funded primarily through state LCFF and property taxes, and offering CTE academies, dual-language immersion, early childhood programs, and a 24/7 Chromebook program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK), Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Career technical education
• Early childhood education
• Special education services
• Dual language immersion

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding (LCFF): Primary funding from California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), based on average daily attendance and demographic factors including English learner, foster youth, and low-income student populations.
2. Local Property Tax Revenue: Local property tax allocations form a significant portion of district revenue supporting general operations and facilities.
3. Federal Title Programs: Federal funding through Title I, Title III, and other federal programs supporting at-risk and English learner student populations.
4. PSUSD Foundation / Private Donations: The PSUSD Foundation bridges funding gaps through private donations, corporate sponsorships, and venture philanthropy to support classroom micro-grants, specialized academies, and programs not funded by government sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PSUSD provides free K-12 public education to more than 18,450 students across 28 schools in seven Coachella Valley communities, operating from Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade. The district delivers core academic instruction alongside 21 Career Academies and CTE pathways, Spanish Dual Language Immersion, Special Education services from age 3 to 22, Early Childhood Education for ages 2-5, and an Expanded Learning Opportunities Program for before/after school and summer enrichment. Operations are funded primarily through California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), local property tax revenue, and federal Title programs, with private donations via the PSUSD Foundation bridging funding gaps.

Product overview

Palm Springs Unified School District operates as a public school district with 28 schools serving approximately 18,450 students. The district's core educational technology infrastructure centers on the Synergy Student Information System, which provides the foundational platform for student data management. Built on this platform are teacher-facing tools (TeacherVUE/GradeBook) and parent-facing portals (ParentVUE), along with an Online Registration system for student enrollment. The district has expanded its digital offerings through a 24/7 Chromebook program, Digital Citizenship curriculum, and Student Tech Programs (Cakewalk) including esports, robotics, and drone soccer. Supporting programs include CTE career pathways, Spanish Dual Immersion, Early Childhood Education, and the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program. Third-party integrations include ParentSquare for family communication, Clever for single sign-on, GoGuardian for web filtering, and Nutrislice for nutrition services menus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Public Education (Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 12) Free K-12 public education delivered to 18,450+ students across 28 schools in seven Coachella Valley communities, aligned to a Portrait of a Graduate framework (Collaboration, Communication, Problem Solving, Work Ethic) and achieving a 91% high school graduation rate.
• Early Childhood Education (Early Head Start, Head Start, State Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten)

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% high school graduation rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Think TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThink Together partners with PSUSD to deliver the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P), providing free before and after school enrichment programs and summer school for TK through 6th grade students. The program offers academic support and youth development activities at no cost to families, supporting the district's commitment to extended learning time.
• The Foundation for the Palm Springs Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PSUSD Foundation is a vital district partner dedicated to bridging funding gaps and supporting high-quality curriculum-enhancing activities. It raises funds through major donors, sponsors, and venture philanthropists to underwrite specialized academies, classroom micro-grants, mental health wellness centers, musical instruments, and STEM education.
• Industry and Community Partners (Career Academies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry and community partners collaborate with PSUSD's 21 Career Academies across four comprehensive high schools, providing work-based learning opportunities, mentorship, and input on career pathway curriculum aligned with regional workforce needs. Partners include healthcare employers (HEAL Academy), technology companies (DATA Academy), hospitality/food service (CAFE Academy), and manufacturing employers.
• College and University PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege and university partners participate in the Portrait of a Graduate development process and support the College & Culture Tour program, helping PSUSD students prepare for and access higher education opportunities.
• LCAP Parent Advisory CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent advisory council members collaborate with district leadership on the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), providing input on funding priorities and district initiatives to ensure community voice in educational planning.
• District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDELAC provides guidance on English Learner programs and policies, representing the voice of families with English Learner students across the district's 28.5% ELL population.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/PSUSDLive
• Facebookfacebook.com/PalmSpringsUSD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/psusd
• Instagraminstagram.com/psusdnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Palm Springs Unified School District