Enrollment
948
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Palmdale, CA
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad
Federal NCES profile for Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062958010905
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 6
- middle schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- students per teacher
- 77.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad ranks #4 of 6 middle schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Palmdale Elementary · California
NCES ID 062958010905 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad is a high-poverty, large middle school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 948 students.
At 21.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 948 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 1,098 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #390.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (80%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 948 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Its district draws 18.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Palmdale's middle schools, it stands alongside Hillview Middle (1,100 students): Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.5:1 vs 27.5:1).
Palmdale Elementary also operates Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students) and Palmdale Academy Charter (989 students) alongside Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad.
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 Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad compares
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.2% | ▲ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 948 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
948
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 48% in California - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 948 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 115 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 79.5%
African American 13.2%
White 3.8%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.9, Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad 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 Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad.
$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 Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Amigos - Dual Immersion | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmdale Academy Charter | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dos Caminos Dual Immersion | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad'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
- 945
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 822
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar middle schools in Palmdale
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Hillview Middle
Standard public school
1,100 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy
Standard public school
952 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy
Standard public school
822 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Shadow Hills Engineering and Design Magnet Academy
Standard public school
813 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy
Standard public school
747 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~948 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad's federal record.
- Compare Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad 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 Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad
How many students attend Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad has 948 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad is 21.5:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?
77.2% of students at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?
The largest demographic group at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad is Hispanic or Latino at 79.5% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad rank among middle schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad ranks #4 of 6 middle 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 middle schools in Palmdale on the city page.
Is Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad a good school?
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad, 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.