Enrollment
423
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palmer, TX
Palmer Middle
Federal NCES profile for Palmer Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 483411006595
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmer Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Palmer · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 44.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmer Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmer Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Palmer, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.8%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmer Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmer Middle
Palmer Middle is a mid-sized elementary school in Palmer, Texas, enrolling 423 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 423 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,019 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #540.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (46%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 423 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Palmer Isd also operates Palmer El (525 students) and Palmer H S (403 students) alongside Palmer Middle.
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 Middle compares
Palmer Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.8% | ▼ 28% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 423 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
423
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 61% in Texas - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,552
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 423 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
68
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.5 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 48.7%
Hispanic or Latino 46.3%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 1.7%
Largest group: White at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Palmer Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palmer Isd, which includes Palmer Middle.
$11,552
Per student
-15%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.6%
State 54.9%
Federal 14.5%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palmer H S | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmer Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 525
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary 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 (~423 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmer Middle's federal record.
- Compare Palmer Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Palmer 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 Middle
How many students attend Palmer Middle?
Palmer Middle has 423 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palmer, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmer Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmer Middle is 15.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palmer Middle?
44.8% of students at Palmer Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmer Middle?
The largest demographic group at Palmer Middle is White at 48.7% of enrollment, in Palmer, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmer Middle?
Palmer Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Middle rank among public schools in Palmer?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmer Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Palmer, TX. 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 Middle a good school?
Palmer Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas 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 Isd?
Besides Palmer Middle, Palmer Isd also operates Palmer El (525 students) and Palmer H S (403 students). See the Palmer 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.