Enrollment
802
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Missouri City, TX
Palmer El
Federal NCES profile for Palmer El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481965006106
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmer El earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #7 of 14
- schools in Missouri City · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- large classes for Texas
- 45.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmer El has class sizes larger than 83% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmer El ranks #7 of 14 schools in Missouri City, TX.
School address
District: Fort Bend Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481965006106 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmer El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmer El
Palmer El is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Missouri City, Texas, enrolling 802 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 802 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,140 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #494.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and Asian (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 802 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Fort Bend Isd spends $10,893 per pupil, 20% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Fort Bend Isd also operates William B Travis H S (3,114 students) and Lawrence E Elkins H S (2,848 students) alongside Palmer El.
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 Palmer El compares
Palmer El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.3% | ▼ 27% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 802 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
802
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 83% in Texas - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,893
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
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 802 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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
African American 50.9%
Asian 16.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.5%
White 8.4%
Two or More 6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 50.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.4, Palmer El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Bend Isd, which includes Palmer El.
$10,893
Per student
-20%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.4%
State 26.9%
Federal 14.7%
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 Palmer El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William B Travis H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lawrence E Elkins H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Point H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stephen F Austin H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clements H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmer El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,114
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,848
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,816
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,655
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~802 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmer El's federal record.
- Compare Palmer El against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Bend Isd'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 Palmer El
How many students attend Palmer El?
Palmer El has 802 students enrolled. It is a public school in Missouri City, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmer El?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmer El is 17.4:1, which is 18% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palmer El?
45.3% of students at Palmer El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmer El?
The largest demographic group at Palmer El is African American at 50.9% of enrollment, in Missouri City, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmer El?
Palmer El has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Palmer El rank among schools in Missouri City?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmer El ranks #7 of 14 schools in Missouri City, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Missouri City on the city page.
Is Palmer El a good school?
Palmer El earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Texas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas 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 Fort Bend Isd?
Besides Palmer El, Fort Bend Isd also operates William B Travis H S (3,114 students), Lawrence E Elkins H S (2,848 students), and Ridge Point H S (2,816 students). See the Fort Bend Isd 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.