Enrollment
1,949
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Amarillo, TX
Palo Duro H S
Federal NCES profile for Palo Duro H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 480813000170
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palo Duro H S earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas.
- #8 of 12
- high schools in Amarillo · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 76.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Palo Duro H S has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palo Duro H S ranks #8 of 12 high schools in Amarillo, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
126.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palo Duro H S compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palo Duro H S
Palo Duro H S is a high-poverty, large high school in Amarillo, Texas, enrolling 1,949 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,949 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 195 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #167, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 466 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,949 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Amarillo Isd also operates Tascosa H S (2,176 students) and Amarillo H S (2,161 students) alongside Palo Duro H S.
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 Duro H S compares
Palo Duro H S on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 23% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,949 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,949
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 65% in Texas - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.2%
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
$11,667
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
243
in-school suspensions + 223 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
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 59.5%
African American 17.5%
White 10.3%
Asian 9.6%
Two or More 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Palo Duro H S is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amarillo Isd, which includes Palo Duro H S.
$11,667
Per student
-14%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 49.5%
Federal 20.1%
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 Duro H S Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tascosa H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Amarillo H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caprock H S | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bonham Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crockett Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palo Duro H S's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,176
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,161
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,058
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 892
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high 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 (~1,949 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palo Duro H S's federal record.
- Compare Palo Duro H S against another school. Compare schools
- Amarillo 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 Duro H S
How many students attend Palo Duro H S?
Palo Duro H S has 1,949 students enrolled. It is a high school in Amarillo, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palo Duro H S?
The student-teacher ratio at Palo Duro H S is 15.5:1, which is 5% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palo Duro H S?
76.3% of students at Palo Duro H S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palo Duro H S?
The largest demographic group at Palo Duro H S is Hispanic or Latino at 59.5% of enrollment, in Amarillo, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palo Duro H S?
Palo Duro H S has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Palo Duro H S rank among high schools in Amarillo?
By Resource Investment Index, Palo Duro H S ranks #8 of 12 high schools in Amarillo, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Amarillo on the city page.
Is Palo Duro H S a good school?
Palo Duro H S earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas. 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 Amarillo Isd?
Besides Palo Duro H S, Amarillo Isd also operates Tascosa H S (2,176 students), Amarillo H S (2,161 students), and Caprock H S (2,058 students). See the Amarillo 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.