Enrollment
1,081
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Los Angeles, CA
Palms Middle
Federal NCES profile for Palms Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062271003267
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palms Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #23 of 67
- middle schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- small classes for California
- 61.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Palms Middle has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palms Middle ranks #23 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271003267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palms Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palms Middle
Palms Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 1,081 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,081 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 764 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #96.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and African American (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 360 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Los Angeles's middle schools, it stands alongside Paul Revere Charter Middle (1,715 students): Palms Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.3:1 vs 24.5:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Palms 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 Palms Middle compares
Palms Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.3:1 | ▼ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.3% | ▲ 10% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,081 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,081
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.0%
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
$21,940
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 360 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 45.9%
African American 25.0%
White 13.6%
Asian 7.9%
Two or More 7.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.6, Palms Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Palms Middle.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Palms Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palms Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Paul Revere Charter Middle
Standard public school
1,715 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet
Alternative education program
1,547 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
John Burroughs Middle
Standard public school
1,302 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Griffith Middle
Alternative education program
1,070 students 17:1 students per teacher
Virgil Middle
Standard public school
975 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Mark Twain Middle
Standard public school
974 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~1,081 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palms Middle's federal record.
- Compare Palms Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles Unified'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 Palms Middle
How many students attend Palms Middle?
Palms Middle has 1,081 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palms Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Palms Middle is 19.3:1, which is 10% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 23% higher 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 Palms Middle?
61.3% of students at Palms Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palms Middle?
The largest demographic group at Palms Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 45.9% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palms Middle?
Palms Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Palms Middle rank among middle schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, Palms Middle ranks #23 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Los Angeles on the city page.
Is Palms Middle a good school?
Palms Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Palms Middle, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles Unified 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.