Enrollment
590
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Phoenix, AZ
Palomino Primary School
Federal NCES profile for Palomino Primary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040593000487
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palomino Primary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #23 of 179
- schools in Phoenix · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 72.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Palomino Primary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palomino Primary School ranks #23 of 179 schools in Phoenix, AZ.
School address
District: Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) · Arizona
NCES ID 040593000487 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palomino Primary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palomino Primary School
Palomino Primary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Phoenix, Arizona, enrolling 590 students.
At 16.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 590 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 302 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 21/100).
Among Phoenix's public schools, it stands alongside Pan-American Charter School (1,221 students): Palomino Primary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students) and Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students) alongside Palomino Primary 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 Palomino Primary School compares
Palomino Primary 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.0% | ▲ 49% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 590 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
590
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 49% in Arizona - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,154
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
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 88.5%
White 5.1%
African American 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.2, Palomino Primary School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paradise Valley Unified District (4241), which includes Palomino Primary School.
$11,154
Per student
-15%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.8%
State 27.3%
Federal 14.9%
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 Palomino Primary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinnacle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paradise Valley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Canyon High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shadow Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palomino Primary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,430
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,767
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,560
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Phoenix
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pan-American Charter School
Standard public school
1,221 students
Great Hearts Academies - Anthem Prep
Standard public school
1,031 students
Westwind Elementary School
Standard public school
932 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Stetson Hills School
Standard public school
887 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Union Park School
Standard public school
873 students 19:1 students per teacher
Fireside Elementary School
Standard public school
693 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~590 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palomino Primary School's federal record.
- Compare Palomino Primary School against another school. Compare schools
- Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)'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 Palomino Primary School
How many students attend Palomino Primary School?
Palomino Primary School has 590 students enrolled. It is a public school in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palomino Primary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palomino Primary School is 16.4:1, which is 4% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 4% 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 Palomino Primary School?
72.0% of students at Palomino Primary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palomino Primary School?
The largest demographic group at Palomino Primary School is Hispanic or Latino at 88.5% of enrollment, in Phoenix, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palomino Primary School?
Palomino Primary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Palomino Primary School rank among schools in Phoenix?
By Resource Investment Index, Palomino Primary School ranks #23 of 179 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 schools in Phoenix on the city page.
Is Palomino Primary School a good school?
Palomino Primary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona 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 Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)?
Besides Palomino Primary School, Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students), Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students), and Horizon High School (1,767 students). See the Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) 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.