Enrollment
989
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Palmdale, CA
Palmdale Academy Charter
Federal NCES profile for Palmdale Academy Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 062958014567Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 95
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmdale Academy Charter earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 39.6:1
- large classes for California
- 72.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmdale Academy Charter has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmdale Academy Charter ranks #1 of 3 schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Palmdale Elementary · California
NCES ID 062958014567 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
39.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+84% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmdale Academy Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmdale Academy Charter
Palmdale Academy Charter is a higher-need, large charter combined-grade school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 989 students.
Class loads run heavy: 39.6:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 84% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 989 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.
Among 1,015 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #46, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 989 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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 public schools, it stands alongside Palmdale Aerospace Academy (2,259 students): Palmdale Academy Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (39.6:1 vs 25.4:1).
Palmdale Elementary also operates Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students) and David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy (952 students) alongside Palmdale Academy Charter.
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 Palmdale Academy Charter compares
Palmdale Academy Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 39.6:1 | ▲ 84% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.7% | ▲ 31% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 989 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
39.6:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
989
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
39.6:1
students per teacher
- 84% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
2.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
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 989 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 81.1%
African American 8.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.2%
White 2.7%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.2, Palmdale Academy Charter 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 Palmdale Academy Charter.
$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 Palmdale Academy Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Amigos - Dual Immersion | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dos Caminos Dual Immersion | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmdale Academy Charter'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
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 948
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 945
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 822
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools in Palmdale
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~989 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmdale Academy Charter's federal record.
- Compare Palmdale Academy Charter 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 Palmdale Academy Charter
How many students attend Palmdale Academy Charter?
Palmdale Academy Charter has 989 students enrolled. It is a public school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmdale Academy Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmdale Academy Charter is 39.6:1, which is 84% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 152% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palmdale Academy Charter?
72.7% of students at Palmdale Academy Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmdale Academy Charter?
The largest demographic group at Palmdale Academy Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 81.1% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmdale Academy Charter?
Palmdale Academy Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Palmdale Academy Charter rank among schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmdale Academy Charter ranks #1 of 3 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 schools in Palmdale on the city page.
Is Palmdale Academy Charter a good school?
Palmdale Academy Charter earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Palmdale Elementary?
Besides Palmdale Academy Charter, Palmdale Elementary also operates Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students), David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy (952 students), and Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad (948 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.