Palmdale Elementary

Palmdale, California — 29 schools

17,788
Total Enrollment
29
Schools
$22,750
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Palmdale Elementary operates 29 public schools serving 17,788 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 23 elementary, 5 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 17,941 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Los Angeles County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $22,750 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 11.4% local, 70.2% state, and 18.4% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $80,071 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 75/100, ranked #142 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 845.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 37.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 74.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% African American, 3.9% White across the district's schools.

Palmdale Elementary school enrollment varies 18× across entities

Palmdale Elementary school enrollment ranges from 58 students (lowest) to 1,027 students (highest), a spread of 969 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Palmdale Elementary has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 79.1% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Palmdale Elementary student-counselor ratio is 845:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Palmdale Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 37.7% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

18.4%
Federal
70.2%
State
11.4%
Local

Funding Equity

75
Equity Score
142 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Los Angeles County county, where this district is located.

$1,863
Studio/mo
$2,085
1 BR/mo
$2,601
2 BR/mo
$3,298
3 BR/mo
$3,672
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$80,071
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 29 schools in Palmdale Elementary.

White 3.9%
Hispanic or Latino 74.6%
African American 17.0%
Asian 1.1%
Multiracial 2.3%
Other 1.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

845.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
37.7%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Palmdale Elementary

School Enrollment
Los Amigos - Dual Immersion
1,027
Palmdale Academy Charter
Charter
989
David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy
952
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad
948
Dos Caminos Dual Immersion
945
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy
822
Shadow Hills Engineering and Design Magnet Academy
813
Palmdale Learning Plaza
800
Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy
747
Tamarisk Elementary
664
Manzanita Elementary
644
Barrel Springs Elementary
627
Desert Rose Elementary
614
Chaparral Prep Academy
594
Ocotillo Elementary
588
Mesquite Elementary
582
Joshua Hills Elementary
581
Buena Vista Elementary
573
Summerwind Elementary
569
Palm Tree Elementary
564
Golden Poppy Elementary
525
Quail Valley Elementary
503
Tumbleweed Elementary
502
Cimarron Elementary
497
Yucca Elementary
495
Innovations Academy of Palmdale
409
Palmdale Discovery Center
246
Oak Tree Community Day
63
Yellen Learning Center
58

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $25,877/pupil
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San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
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Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
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Compare Palmdale Elementary

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Palmdale Elementary?

Palmdale Elementary has 29 schools, including 23 elementary, 1 other, 5 middle. Total enrollment is 17,788 students.

How much does Palmdale Elementary spend per student?

Palmdale Elementary spends $22,750 per student. The district has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #142 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Palmdale Elementary?

The average teacher salary in Palmdale Elementary is $80,071 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Palmdale Elementary?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Los Angeles County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Palmdale Elementary?

Palmdale Elementary students are 74.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% African American, 3.9% White, 1.1% Asian, averaged across 29 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Palmdale Elementary?

Palmdale Elementary has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #142 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.