Enrollment
602
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Phoenix, AZ
Palm Lane
Federal NCES profile for Palm Lane, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040168000101
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palm Lane earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #132 of 179
- schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.8:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 66.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Palm Lane has class sizes larger than 80% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palm Lane ranks #132 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Cartwright Elementary District (4282) · Arizona
NCES ID 040168000101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palm Lane compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palm Lane
Palm Lane is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 602 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 602 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 334 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #240, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 602 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 41.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Phoenix's public schools, it stands alongside Pan-American Charter School (1,221 students): Palm Lane is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students) and Charles W. Harris School (875 students) alongside Palm Lane.
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 Lane compares
Palm Lane on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.8:1 | ▲ 22% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.0% | ▲ 37% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 602 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
602
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 80% in Arizona - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
54.0%
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
$11,851
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 602 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 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 93.2%
White 3.0%
African American 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.0, Palm Lane is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cartwright Elementary District (4282), which includes Palm Lane.
$11,851
Per student
-10%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.7%
State 42.2%
Federal 41.1%
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 Lane Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Borman School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles W. Harris School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peralta School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manuel Pena Jr. School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunset School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palm Lane's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Phoenix
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pan-American Charter School
Standard public school
1,221 students
Great Hearts Academies - Anthem Prep
Standard public school
1,031 students
Westwind Elementary School
Standard public school
932 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Stetson Hills School
Standard public school
887 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Union Park School
Standard public school
873 students 19:1 students per teacher
Fireside Elementary School
Standard public school
693 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~602 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palm Lane's federal record.
- Compare Palm Lane against another school. Compare schools
- Cartwright Elementary District (4282)'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 Lane
How many students attend Palm Lane?
Palm Lane has 602 students enrolled. It is a public school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palm Lane?
The student-teacher ratio at Palm Lane is 20.8:1, which is 22% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palm Lane?
66.0% of students at Palm Lane are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palm Lane?
The largest demographic group at Palm Lane is Hispanic or Latino at 93.2% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palm Lane?
Palm Lane has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Palm Lane rank among schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Palm Lane ranks #132 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Palm Lane a good school?
Palm Lane earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona 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 Cartwright Elementary District (4282)?
Besides Palm Lane, Cartwright Elementary District (4282) also operates Frank Borman School (960 students), Charles W. Harris School (875 students), and Peralta School (817 students). See the Cartwright Elementary District (4282) 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.