Enrollment
184
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Palmer, NE
Palmer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Palmer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 70/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 310008901467
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 75
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmer Elementary School earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- 70
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 42.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 184
- students enrolled
Palmer Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Palmer Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 310008901467 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.3%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmer Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmer Elementary School
Palmer Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Palmer, Nebraska, enrolling 184 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 42.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 184 students, its enrollment sits close to the Nebraska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 1,003 Nebraska schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 147 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 123 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district, Palmer Public Schools, also runs Palmer Junior-Senior High (129 students).
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 Elementary School compares
Palmer Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▲ 5% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.3% | ▲ 37% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 184 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
184
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 62% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
2.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$15,015
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 123 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
White 89.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
Two or More 4.3%
Largest group: White at 89.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.0, Palmer Elementary School is less mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palmer Public Schools, which includes Palmer Elementary School.
$15,015
Per student
-15%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.5%
State 33.8%
Federal 12.7%
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 Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer Junior-Senior High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 129
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~184 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Palmer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Palmer Public Schools'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 Elementary School
How many students attend Palmer Elementary School?
Palmer Elementary School has 184 students enrolled. It is a public school in Palmer, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmer Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 5% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palmer Elementary School?
42.3% of students at Palmer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Palmer Elementary School is White at 89.7% of enrollment, in Palmer, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmer Elementary School?
Palmer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 70/100 (higher 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).
Is Palmer Elementary School a good school?
Palmer Elementary School earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. 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 Palmer Public Schools?
Besides Palmer Elementary School, Palmer Public Schools also operates Palmer Junior-Senior High (129 students). See the Palmer Public Schools 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.