Enrollment
334
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palo Alto, CA
Palo Verde Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Palo Verde Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062961004597
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palo Verde Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools.
- #2 of 10
- elementary schools in Palo Alto · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- small classes for California
- 7.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Palo Verde Elementary has class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palo Verde Elementary ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Palo Alto, CA.
School address
District: Palo Alto Unified · California
NCES ID 062961004597 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palo Verde Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palo Verde Elementary
Palo Verde Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Palo Alto, California, enrolling 334 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.3% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the California average.
Enrollment of 334 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 385 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #88.
Its student body is led by Asian (52%) and White (27%) (diversity index 64/100).
11.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Palo Alto Unified spends $27,172 per pupil, 65% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Palo Alto's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ohlone Elementary (464 students): Palo Verde Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.6:1 vs 20.2:1).
Palo Alto Unified also operates Palo Alto High (1,891 students) and Henry M. Gunn High (1,643 students) alongside Palo Verde Elementary.
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 Verde Elementary compares
Palo Verde Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.6:1 | ▼ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.3% | ▼ 87% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 334 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
334
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 19% in California - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$27,172
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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
Asian 51.8%
White 26.6%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
Two or More 6.3%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: Asian at 51.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.9, Palo Verde Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palo Alto Unified, which includes Palo Verde Elementary.
$27,172
Per student
+65%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+64%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.1%
State 11.1%
Federal 2.8%
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 Verde Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Henry M. Gunn High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ellen Fletcher Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palo Verde Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,891
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,643
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,002
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 572
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar elementary schools in Palo Alto
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ohlone Elementary
Standard public school
464 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Fairmeadow Elementary
Standard public school
425 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Herbert Hoover Elementary
Standard public school
389 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Duveneck Elementary
Standard public school
376 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Addison Elementary
Standard public school
366 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Walter Hays Elementary
Standard public school
305 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~334 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palo Verde Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Palo Verde Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Palo Alto 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 Palo Verde Elementary
How many students attend Palo Verde Elementary?
Palo Verde Elementary has 334 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palo Alto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palo Verde Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Palo Verde Elementary is 17.6:1, which is 18% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 12% 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 Palo Verde Elementary?
7.3% of students at Palo Verde Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palo Verde Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Palo Verde Elementary is Asian at 51.8% of enrollment, in Palo Alto, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palo Verde Elementary?
Palo Verde Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Palo Verde Elementary rank among elementary schools in Palo Alto?
By Resource Investment Index, Palo Verde Elementary ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Palo Alto, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Palo Alto on the city page.
Is Palo Verde Elementary a good school?
Palo Verde Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of 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 Palo Alto Unified?
Besides Palo Verde Elementary, Palo Alto Unified also operates Palo Alto High (1,891 students), Henry M. Gunn High (1,643 students), and Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle (1,002 students). See the Palo Alto 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.