Enrollment
269
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chula Vista, CA
Palomar High
Federal NCES profile for Palomar High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 063864006490
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palomar High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of California schools.
- #2 of 10
- schools in Chula Vista · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- small classes for California
- 75.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Palomar High has class sizes smaller than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palomar High ranks #2 of 10 schools in Chula Vista, CA.
School address
District: Sweetwater Union High · California
NCES ID 063864006490 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palomar High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palomar High
Palomar High is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Chula Vista, California, enrolling 269 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.4:1, Palomar High is leaner than roughly 92% of California schools and 38% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 269 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 982 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #30, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and White (13%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 67 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Among Chula Vista's public schools, it stands alongside Mueller Charter (Robert L.) (1,542 students): Palomar High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 21.4:1).
Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students) and Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students) alongside Palomar High.
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 Palomar High compares
Palomar High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 38% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.2% | ▲ 35% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 269 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
269
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 38% below state mean
Top 8% in California - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$13,859
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 67 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 77.3%
White 12.6%
African American 4.1%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.4, Palomar High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sweetwater Union High, which includes Palomar High.
$13,859
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 58.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Palomar High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastlake High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Otay Ranch Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sweetwater High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olympian High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bonita Vista Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palomar High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,440
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,289
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Chula Vista
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mueller Charter (Robert L.)
Standard public school
1,542 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Chula Vista Learning Community Charter
Standard public school
1,397 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Hawking S.T.E.a.M. Charter
Standard public school
1,321 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Pacific Springs Charter
Standard public school
489 students 28.8:1 students per teacher
Learning Choice Academy - Chula Vista
Standard public school
437 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Sweetwater Secondary
Standard public school
372 students 37.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~269 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palomar High's federal record.
- Compare Palomar High against another school. Compare schools
- Sweetwater Union High'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 Palomar High
How many students attend Palomar High?
Palomar High has 269 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Chula Vista, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palomar High?
The student-teacher ratio at Palomar High is 13.4:1, which is 38% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 Palomar High?
75.2% of students at Palomar High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palomar High?
The largest demographic group at Palomar High is Hispanic or Latino at 77.3% of enrollment, in Chula Vista, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palomar High?
Palomar High has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Palomar High rank among schools in Chula Vista?
By Resource Investment Index, Palomar High ranks #2 of 10 schools in Chula Vista, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chula Vista on the city page.
Is Palomar High a good school?
Palomar High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 Sweetwater Union High?
Besides Palomar High, Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students), Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students), and Sweetwater High (2,290 students). See the Sweetwater Union High 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.