5 public K-12 schools in La Palma from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
5 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of La Palma's 5 public schools is John F. Kennedy High, scoring 42/100, against a city average of 45.8/100. Computed live across every La Palma campus reporting to NCES.
How the La Palma Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
La Palma, CA enrolls 4,346 students across 5 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 21.9:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 45.8/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in La Palma on this index is John F. Kennedy High, at 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,983 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
La Palma spans 3 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
John F. Kennedy High accounts for 45.6% of all La Palma public-school enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of La Palma a distant remainder — means La Palma-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: High. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
La Palma school enrollment varies 4.9× across entities
La Palma school enrollment ranges from 403 students (lowest) to 1,983 students (highest), a spread of 1,580 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous school portfolio for a city this size. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
La Palma student-teacher ratio is 21.9:1 — high (typically associated with larger urban scale or staffing constraints that have widened the headcount gap)
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in La Palma
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in La Palma is John F. Kennedy High with a quality score of 42/100. There are 5 public schools in La Palma with 4,346 total students.
How many schools are in La Palma, CA? ▼
La Palma has 5 public schools with a total enrollment of 4,346 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 21.9:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
