Enrollment
464
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palm Springs, CA
Katherine Finchy Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Katherine Finchy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062955004567
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Katherine Finchy Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Palm Springs · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- small classes for California
- 90.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Katherine Finchy Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Katherine Finchy Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Palm Springs, CA.
School address
District: Palm Springs Unified · California
NCES ID 062955004567 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Katherine Finchy Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Katherine Finchy Elementary
Katherine Finchy Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Palm Springs, California, enrolling 464 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.6:1, Katherine Finchy Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of California schools and 23% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 90.7% of students qualify for free meals, 63% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 464 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,369 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #482.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (16%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 464 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Palm Springs's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cielo Vista Charter (824 students): Katherine Finchy Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 21.1:1).
Palm Springs Unified also operates Desert Hot Springs High (1,687 students) and Palm Springs High (1,497 students) alongside Katherine Finchy 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 Katherine Finchy Elementary compares
Katherine Finchy 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 23% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.7% | ▲ 63% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 464 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
464
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 15% in California - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.4%
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
$17,520
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 464 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 65.7%
White 16.2%
African American 9.5%
Asian 4.8%
Two or More 3.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.9, Katherine Finchy Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palm Springs Unified, which includes Katherine Finchy Elementary.
$17,520
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 54.5%
Federal 9.5%
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 Katherine Finchy Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Hot Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palm Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho Mirage High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cathedral City High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Workman Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Katherine Finchy Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,497
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,334
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,020
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Palm Springs
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Cielo Vista Charter
Standard public school
824 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
Vista Del Monte Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Cahuilla Elementary
Standard public school
399 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Virtual Pre
Standard public school
3 students
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 (~464 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Katherine Finchy Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Katherine Finchy Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Palm Springs Unified'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 Katherine Finchy Elementary
How many students attend Katherine Finchy Elementary?
Katherine Finchy Elementary has 464 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palm Springs, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Katherine Finchy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Katherine Finchy Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 23% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Katherine Finchy Elementary?
90.7% of students at Katherine Finchy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Katherine Finchy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Katherine Finchy Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 65.7% of enrollment, in Palm Springs, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Katherine Finchy Elementary?
Katherine Finchy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Katherine Finchy Elementary rank among elementary schools in Palm Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Katherine Finchy Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Palm Springs, 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 Palm Springs on the city page.
Is Katherine Finchy Elementary a good school?
Katherine Finchy Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Palm Springs Unified?
Besides Katherine Finchy Elementary, Palm Springs Unified also operates Desert Hot Springs High (1,687 students), Palm Springs High (1,497 students), and Rancho Mirage High (1,401 students). See the Palm Springs Unified 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.