Enrollment
1,949
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 480813000170
Palo Duro H S — Amarillo, TX
Federal NCES profile for Palo Duro H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 29/100.
👥 Class size 39
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Amarillo Isd · Texas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
126.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.6:1 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Palo Duro H S reports 1,949 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 126.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% above the Texas state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 76.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% above the Texas average and 47% above the national baseline. The school offers 3 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 390 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 51.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Amarillo Isd spends $12,807 per pupil district-wide, below the Texas average of $17,150 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.4% from local sources (property taxes), 49.5% from the state, and 20.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Palo Duro H S compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Texas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 23% | 61.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,949 | top 96% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
15.3:1
students per teacher
— 5% above state mean
Top 61% in Texas — lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,807
per pupil, district-wide
— below Texas avg of $17,150
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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
Enrollment 1,949 Top 96% in Texas — larger than 4% of 9,061 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 126.0
Students per teacher 15.3:1 +5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 76.3% +23% vs state
NCES ID 480813000170
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.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 5.0
Students per counselor 390:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 51.2%
In-school suspensions 243
Out-of-school suspensions 223
Expulsions 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amarillo Isd, which includes Palo Duro H S.
$12,807
Per student
-25%
vs Texas
Avg $17,150
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,176
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 2,161
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,058
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 892
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
Similar high schools in Amarillo
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Tascosa H S
Standard public school
2,176 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Amarillo H S
Standard public school
2,161 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Caprock H S
Standard public school
2,058 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
West Plains H S
Standard public school
1,221 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Randall H S
Standard public school
1,126 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
River Road H S
Standard public school
400 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 15.3:1, which is 5% higher than the Texas average of 14.6:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in AMARILLO, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palo Duro H S?
Palo Duro H S has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.