Enrollment
642
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · La Canada, CA
Palm Crest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Palm Crest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062013009386
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palm Crest Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in La Canada · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.7:1
- large classes for California
- 4.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Palm Crest Elementary has class sizes larger than 77% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palm Crest Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in La Canada, CA.
School address
District: La Canada Unified · California
NCES ID 062013009386 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-92% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palm Crest Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palm Crest Elementary
Palm Crest Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in La Canada, California, enrolling 642 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 4.2% free-meal eligibility runs 92% below the California average.
Enrollment of 642 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 618 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #269.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Asian (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 535 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among La Canada's elementary schools, it stands alongside Paradise Canyon Elementary (715 students): Palm Crest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.7:1 vs 26.5:1).
La Canada Unified also operates La Canada High (1,989 students) and Paradise Canyon Elementary (715 students) alongside Palm Crest 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 Palm Crest Elementary compares
Palm Crest 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 | 24.7:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.2% | ▼ 92% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 642 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.7:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
642
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 92% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.7:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 77% in California - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
7.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,462
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 535 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
White 37.9%
Asian 34.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.9%
Two or More 13.4%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 37.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.9, Palm Crest Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Canada Unified, which includes Palm Crest Elementary.
$14,462
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.5%
State 36.0%
Federal 5.5%
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 Palm Crest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Canada High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Paradise Canyon Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| La Canada Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palm Crest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,989
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in La Canada
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~642 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palm Crest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Palm Crest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- La Canada 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 Palm Crest Elementary
How many students attend Palm Crest Elementary?
Palm Crest Elementary has 642 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in La Canada, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palm Crest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Palm Crest Elementary is 24.7:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palm Crest Elementary?
4.2% of students at Palm Crest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palm Crest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Palm Crest Elementary is White at 37.9% of enrollment, in La Canada, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palm Crest Elementary?
Palm Crest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Palm Crest Elementary rank among elementary schools in La Canada?
By Resource Investment Index, Palm Crest Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in La Canada, 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 La Canada on the city page.
Is Palm Crest Elementary a good school?
Palm Crest Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 La Canada Unified?
Besides Palm Crest Elementary, La Canada Unified also operates La Canada High (1,989 students), Paradise Canyon Elementary (715 students), and La Canada Elementary (633 students). See the La Canada 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.