Enrollment
797
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Phoenix, AZ
Palo Verde Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Palo Verde Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040906000935
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palo Verde Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #6 of 24
- middle schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 80.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Palo Verde Middle School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palo Verde Middle School ranks #6 of 24 middle schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Washington Elementary School District (4260) · Arizona
NCES ID 040906000935 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palo Verde Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palo Verde Middle School
Palo Verde Middle School is a high-poverty, large middle school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 797 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 80.0% of students qualify for free meals, 66% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 797 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 144 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #17.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 79.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 410 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 797 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Phoenix's middle schools, it stands alongside Sonoran Trails Middle School (615 students): Palo Verde Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15:1 vs 17.6:1).
Washington Elementary School District (4260) also operates Lookout Mountain School (979 students) and Mountain View Elementary School (903 students) alongside Palo Verde Middle School.
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 Middle School compares
Palo Verde Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15:1 | ▼ 12% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.0% | ▲ 66% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 797 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
797
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 36% in Arizona - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
79.9%
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
$10,856
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
235
in-school suspensions + 175 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 29.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 51.4 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 65.0%
African American 14.9%
White 10.0%
Asian 5.8%
Two or More 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.1, Palo Verde Middle School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washington Elementary School District (4260), which includes Palo Verde Middle School.
$10,856
Per student
-17%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 45.6%
Federal 24.8%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lookout Mountain School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Acacia Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orangewood School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palo Verde Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 979
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar middle schools in Phoenix
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~797 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palo Verde Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Palo Verde Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Washington Elementary School District (4260)'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 Middle School
How many students attend Palo Verde Middle School?
Palo Verde Middle School has 797 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palo Verde Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palo Verde Middle School is 15:1, which is 12% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 4% lower 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 Middle School?
80.0% of students at Palo Verde Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palo Verde Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Palo Verde Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 65.0% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palo Verde Middle School?
Palo Verde Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Middle School rank among middle schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Palo Verde Middle School ranks #6 of 24 middle schools in Phoenix, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Palo Verde Middle School a good school?
Palo Verde Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Washington Elementary School District (4260)?
Besides Palo Verde Middle School, Washington Elementary School District (4260) also operates Lookout Mountain School (979 students), Mountain View Elementary School (903 students), and Acacia Elementary School (806 students). See the Washington Elementary School District (4260) 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.