Enrollment
246
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palmdale, CA
Palmdale Discovery Center
Federal NCES profile for Palmdale Discovery Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062958013975
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmdale Discovery Center earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 94% of California schools.
- #19 of 31
- elementary schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.7:1
- small classes for California
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmdale Discovery Center has class sizes smaller than 94% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmdale Discovery Center ranks #19 of 31 elementary schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Palmdale Elementary · California
NCES ID 062958013975 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmdale Discovery Center compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmdale Discovery Center
Palmdale Discovery Center is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 246 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.7:1, Palmdale Discovery Center is leaner than roughly 94% of California schools and 46% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 246 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 783 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #447.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 42/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Palmdale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students): Palmdale Discovery Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 28.5:1).
Palmdale Elementary also operates Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students) and Palmdale Academy Charter (989 students) alongside Palmdale Discovery Center.
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 Discovery Center compares
Palmdale Discovery Center on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 46% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 11% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
246
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 46% below state mean
Top 6% in California - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.9%
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
$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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 74.0%
African American 15.9%
Asian 4.1%
White 3.7%
Two or More 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.4, Palmdale Discovery Center is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palmdale Elementary, which includes Palmdale Discovery Center.
$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 Discovery Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Amigos - Dual Immersion | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmdale Academy Charter | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dos Caminos Dual Immersion | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmdale Discovery Center'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
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 39.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- 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
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 28.5:1 students per teacher
Esperanza Elementary
Standard public school
962 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Dos Caminos Dual Immersion
Alternative education program
945 students 27:1 students per teacher
Gregg Anderson Academy
Standard public school
893 students 27.9:1 students per teacher
Rancho Vista Elementary
Standard public school
886 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Palmdale Learning Plaza
Standard public school
800 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~246 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmdale Discovery Center's federal record.
- Compare Palmdale Discovery Center 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 Discovery Center
How many students attend Palmdale Discovery Center?
Palmdale Discovery Center has 246 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmdale Discovery Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmdale Discovery Center is 11.7:1, which is 46% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% lower 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 Palmdale Discovery Center?
61.5% of students at Palmdale Discovery Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmdale Discovery Center?
The largest demographic group at Palmdale Discovery Center is Hispanic or Latino at 74.0% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmdale Discovery Center?
Palmdale Discovery Center has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Palmdale Discovery Center rank among elementary schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmdale Discovery Center ranks #19 of 31 elementary 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 elementary schools in Palmdale on the city page.
Is Palmdale Discovery Center a good school?
Palmdale Discovery Center earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 94% 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 Discovery Center, Palmdale Elementary also operates Los Amigos - Dual Immersion (1,027 students), Palmdale Academy Charter (989 students), and David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy (952 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.