Coachella 2024: These local students earned wristbands to Weekend 2. Here's how

Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·2 min read

The second weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio is known as the locals' weekend — and this year, it's especially apt. About 425 high school seniors from Coachella Valley Unified School District and Desert Sands Unified School District earned free entry, thanks to Goldenvoice and the City of Indio.

"It's a great partnership because many of our students don't have the luxury of purchasing and this might be the only opportunity they get," said Julisa Hernandez, the director of student support services at CVUSD. "We're very fortunate to have this collaboration and to have the students' engagement."

The $499 price tag for a General Admission wristband poses a financial barrier for students who are keen on attending the local, yet internationally known, cultural phenomenon. At CVUSD, 92.4% of students face socioeconomically disadvantages, compared to 76.8% at DSUSD.

More: Coachella 2024: Families attend festival together for some wholesome bonding

Seniors needed to maintain a positive attendance rate of 97%, uphold a 3.0 GPA and complete the federal financial aid application prior to spring break. 300 students from the Class of 2024 at CVUSD met these criteria and 125 wristbands at DSUSD were distributed through a drawing. Palm Springs Unified School District was not involved.

It's certainly a creative incentive to combat chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. In the 2022-23 school year, 42.5% of students at CVUSD were chronically absent, marking a 3.5% decrease from the previous year. Similarly, at DSUSD, 34.8% of students were chronically absent in 2022-23, showing a 6.9% decline from the previous academic year.

"The (Desert Sands Educational Foundation) is thrilled to have played a role in relaunching the program post-COVID," said Francinni Zabata, director of community engagement and educational foundation, in an email. "The impact on attendance, grades and FAFSA/CAADAA completion has been significant and deeply appreciated."

Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella 2024 free wristbands: How local students earned perk