Desert Center Unified School District is located in the eastern part of Riverside County in California.
The district services the unincorporated areas of Eagle Mountain, Desert Center, Lake Tamarisk and Chiriaco Summit.
All of the district's furniture and supplies were placed into storage at Eagle Mountain High School.
Local students drove through Box Canyon, through Mecca, to thermal which was a 52 mile trip.
The school site was later moved about one-half mile east of Desert Center and was located there since 1935.
In the spring of 1952 the children moved to a new red brick four-room building that is still standing as of 2022.
The enrollment climbed to 110, with students from Eagle Mountain, Eagle Mountain Water District, and Ocotillo Gardens arriving by bus, and also students from Hayfield Water District, Rock House, and Ironwood, as well as Desert Center, by private auto.
The founding students chose blue and gold as the school's official colors.
The school's original alma mater lyrics were written by Loretta McDonald (Class of 1964.)
Students from Eagle Mountain High School went on to become doctors, lawyers, airline pilots, military commissioned and non-commissioned officers, parents, teachers, professional photographers, technicians, law enforcement officers, ministers and more.