Enrollment
627
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palmdale, CA
Barrel Springs Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Barrel Springs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062958002166
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Barrel Springs Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools.
- #7 of 31
- elementary schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.3:1
- large classes for California
- 77.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Barrel Springs Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Barrel Springs Elementary ranks #7 of 31 elementary schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Palmdale Elementary · California
NCES ID 062958002166 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Barrel Springs Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Barrel Springs Elementary
Barrel Springs Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 627 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.3:1 is larger than about 90% of California schools and 27% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 627 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,092 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #342.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 40/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Palmdale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students): Barrel Springs Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (27.3:1 vs 28.5:1).
Palmdale Elementary also operates Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students) and Palmdale Academy Charter (989 students) alongside Barrel Springs Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Barrel Springs Elementary compares
Barrel Springs Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.3:1 | ▲ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.7% | ▲ 40% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 627 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.3:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
627
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
27.3:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in California - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
28.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,847
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 76.2%
African American 13.4%
White 5.9%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.7, Barrel Springs Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palmdale Elementary, which includes Barrel Springs Elementary.
$16,847
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.4%
State 70.2%
Federal 18.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Barrel Springs Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Amigos - Dual Immersion | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palmdale Academy Charter | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dos Caminos Dual Immersion | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Barrel Springs Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,027
- Students per teacher
- 28.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 39.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 948
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 945
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Palmdale
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Los Amigos - Dual Immersion
Alternative education program
1,027 students 28.5:1 students per teacher
Esperanza Elementary
Standard public school
962 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Dos Caminos Dual Immersion
Alternative education program
945 students 27:1 students per teacher
Gregg Anderson Academy
Standard public school
893 students 27.9:1 students per teacher
Rancho Vista Elementary
Standard public school
886 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Palmdale Learning Plaza
Standard public school
800 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~627 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Barrel Springs Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Barrel Springs Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Palmdale Elementary's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Barrel Springs Elementary
How many students attend Barrel Springs Elementary?
Barrel Springs Elementary has 627 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Barrel Springs Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Barrel Springs Elementary is 27.3:1, which is 27% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 74% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Barrel Springs Elementary?
77.7% of students at Barrel Springs Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Barrel Springs Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Barrel Springs Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 76.2% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Barrel Springs Elementary?
Barrel Springs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Barrel Springs Elementary rank among elementary schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Barrel Springs Elementary ranks #7 of 31 elementary schools in Palmdale, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Palmdale on the city page.
Is Barrel Springs Elementary a good school?
Barrel Springs Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Palmdale Elementary?
Besides Barrel Springs Elementary, Palmdale Elementary also operates Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students), Palmdale Academy Charter (989 students), and David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy (952 students). See the Palmdale Elementary district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.