Enrollment
525
California · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 062958008727
Golden Poppy Elementary — Palmdale, CA
Federal NCES profile for Golden Poppy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 30/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 19
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Palmdale Elementary · California
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26:1
vs 21.6:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Golden Poppy Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Golden Poppy Elementary reports 525 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 26:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 20% above the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 64% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 73.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 33% above the California average and 42% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 32.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Palmdale Elementary spends $22,750 per pupil district-wide, above the California average of $18,039 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 11.4% from local sources (property taxes), 70.2% from the state, and 18.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Golden Poppy Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.6% | ▲ 33% | 55.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 525 | top 58% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
73.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 33% 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
26:1
students per teacher
— 20% above state mean
Top 89% in California — lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
32.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,750
per pupil, district-wide
— above California avg of $18,039
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 525 Top 58% in California — larger than 42% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 26:1 +20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 73.6% +33% vs state
NCES ID 062958008727
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 75.0%
African American 17.0%
Two or More 3.4%
White 2.3%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 32.4%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 12
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palmdale Elementary, which includes Golden Poppy Elementary.
$22,750
Per student
+26%
vs California
Avg $18,039
+17%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,027
- Students per teacher
- 27.1:1
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Enrollment
- 948
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 945
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
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 27.1:1 students per teacher
Esperanza Elementary
Standard public school
962 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Dos Caminos Dual Immersion
Alternative education program
945 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Gregg Anderson Academy
Standard public school
893 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Rancho Vista Elementary
Standard public school
886 students 26.2:1 students per teacher
Palmdale Learning Plaza
Standard public school
800 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Golden Poppy Elementary
How many students attend Golden Poppy Elementary?
Golden Poppy Elementary has 525 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden Poppy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden Poppy Elementary is 26:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.6:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Golden Poppy Elementary?
73.6% of students at Golden Poppy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Golden Poppy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Golden Poppy Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 75.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden Poppy Elementary?
Golden Poppy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.