Enrollment
416
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Palmer, MA
Palmer High
Federal NCES profile for Palmer High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 250930001485
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 86
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmer High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Massachusetts schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Palmer · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 6.9:1
- small classes for Massachusetts
- 416
- students enrolled
Palmer High has class sizes smaller than 97% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmer High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Palmer, MA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.9:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmer High compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmer High
Palmer High is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Palmer, Massachusetts, enrolling 416 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.9:1, Palmer High is leaner than roughly 97% of Massachusetts schools and 44% under the state's 12.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
With 416 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 69 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 120 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 416 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Palmer's public schools, it stands alongside Old Mill Pond (677 students): Palmer High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (6.9:1 vs 12.8:1).
Its district, Palmer, also runs Old Mill Pond (677 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 High compares
Palmer High on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6.9:1 | ▼ 44% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 416 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.9:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
416
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
6.9:1
students per teacher
- 44% below state mean
Top 3% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
43.3%
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
$18,790
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 69 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 82 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.8 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 70.1%
Hispanic or Latino 17.6%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 3.6%
African American 3.4%
Largest group: White at 70.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.2, Palmer High is about as mixed as the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palmer, which includes Palmer High.
$18,790
Per student
-16%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 64.8%
Federal 11.6%
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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Mill Pond | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmer High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 677
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Palmer
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~416 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmer High's federal record.
- Compare Palmer High against another school. Compare schools
- Palmer'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 High
How many students attend Palmer High?
Palmer High has 416 students enrolled. It is a public school in Palmer, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmer High?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmer High is 6.9:1, which is 44% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 56% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmer High?
The largest demographic group at Palmer High is White at 70.1% of enrollment, in Palmer, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmer High?
Palmer High has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Palmer High rank among public schools in Palmer?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmer High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Palmer, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Palmer on the city page.
Is Palmer High a good school?
Palmer High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Massachusetts 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 Palmer?
Besides Palmer High, Palmer also operates Old Mill Pond (677 students). See the Palmer 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.