Enrollment
781
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Killeen, TX
Palo Alto Middle
Federal NCES profile for Palo Alto Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 482566005918
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palo Alto Middle earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Texas schools.
- #7 of 8
- middle schools in Killeen · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Texas
- 70.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Palo Alto Middle has class sizes larger than 70% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palo Alto Middle ranks #7 of 8 middle schools in Killeen, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palo Alto Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palo Alto Middle
Palo Alto Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Killeen, Texas, enrolling 781 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 70.5% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 781 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,632 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,284, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 372 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Killeen Isd spends $10,648 per pupil, 22% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 314 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 781 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Killeen Isd also operates Harker Heights H S (2,192 students) and Robert M Shoemaker H S (2,165 students) alongside Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto Middle compares
Palo Alto 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.5% | ▲ 14% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 781 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
781
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Texas - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.2%
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
$10,648
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
Counselors2.1 FTE
Per 372 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
194
in-school suspensions + 120 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.2 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 49.9%
Hispanic or Latino 31.1%
White 9.5%
Two or More 5.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.3%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 49.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.2, Palo Alto Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Killeen Isd, which includes Palo Alto Middle.
$10,648
Per student
-22%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 54.7%
Federal 25.7%
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 Palo Alto Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harker Heights H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robert M Shoemaker H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Killeen H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chaparral H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| C E Ellison H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palo Alto Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,192
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,165
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,083
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 2,031
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,761
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle 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 (~781 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palo Alto Middle's federal record.
- Compare Palo Alto Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Killeen 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 Palo Alto Middle
How many students attend Palo Alto Middle?
Palo Alto Middle has 781 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Killeen, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palo Alto Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Palo Alto Middle is 15.9:1, which is 8% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palo Alto Middle?
70.5% of students at Palo Alto Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palo Alto Middle?
The largest demographic group at Palo Alto Middle is African American at 49.9% of enrollment, in Killeen, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palo Alto Middle?
Palo Alto Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Palo Alto Middle rank among middle schools in Killeen?
By Resource Investment Index, Palo Alto Middle ranks #7 of 8 middle schools in Killeen, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Killeen on the city page.
Is Palo Alto Middle a good school?
Palo Alto Middle earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of 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 Killeen Isd?
Besides Palo Alto Middle, Killeen Isd also operates Harker Heights H S (2,192 students), Robert M Shoemaker H S (2,165 students), and Killeen H S (2,083 students). See the Killeen 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.