High school (grades 9-12) · Palmer, MA

Pathfinder Vocational Technical

Federal NCES profile for Pathfinder Vocational Technical, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 250931002285

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Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools. · Updated August 2026

The verdict

Pathfinder Vocational Technical earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Massachusetts schools.

#1 of 3
public schools in Palmer · Resource Index: 50
Resource Index · Higher: 9.7:1
small classes for Massachusetts: 660
students enrolled

Pathfinder Vocational Technical has class sizes smaller than 83% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Pathfinder Vocational Technical ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Palmer, MA.

School address

Palmer, MA 01069

District: Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical · Massachusetts

NCES ID 250931002285 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+3 students YoY

Pathfinder Vocational Technical held near 643 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+3 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 68.6 → 72.6 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+3 students YoY 250931002285 · Palmer, MA High · MID · TRAD

660 enr · 9.7:1 · RII 50

Nearest enrollment peer: Holbrook High School (660 students)

Pathfinder Vocational Technical held near 643 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+3 headcount). Teacher FTE added 68.6 → 72.6 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Massachusetts schools → · Find another →

How Pathfinder Vocational Technical compares

Pathfinder Vocational Technical held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Massachusetts and U.S. means.

Metric	This school	vs Massachusetts	Massachusetts avg	U.S. avg
Students per teacher	9.7:1	▼ 21%	12.3:1	15.7:1
Enrollment	660	top 21%	-	-

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

9.7:1

Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.

660

Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Staffing depth

9.7:1

students per teacher - 21% below state mean

Top 17% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 83% of state schools

Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.

Engagement

26.2%

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

$26,298

per pupil, district-wide - above Massachusetts avg of $23,695

Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.

Support staff

Counselors5.0 FTE

Per 132 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.

Discipline context

in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school

Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 83.3%

Hispanic or Latino 10.9%

Two or More 3.8%

African American 1.4%

Asian 0.5%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Largest group: White at 83.3% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 29.3/100

Simpson diversity index - at 29.3, Pathfinder Vocational Technical is less mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.

Programs

AP courses offered 12

District finance for Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical reports $26,298 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~660 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.7:1)

Frequently asked questions about Pathfinder Vocational Technical

How many students attend Pathfinder Vocational Technical?

Pathfinder Vocational Technical has 660 students enrolled. It is a high school in Palmer, MA. CCD year-over-year: 640 (2022-23) → 643 (2023-24), nearly flat (+3).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Pathfinder Vocational Technical?

The student-teacher ratio at Pathfinder Vocational Technical is 9.7:1, which is 21% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 38% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pathfinder Vocational Technical?

The largest demographic group at Pathfinder Vocational Technical is White at 83.3% of enrollment, in Palmer, MA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Pathfinder Vocational Technical?

Pathfinder Vocational Technical has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Pathfinder Vocational Technical rank among public schools in Palmer?

By Resource Investment Index, Pathfinder Vocational Technical ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Palmer, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking.

What other schools are in Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical?

None reported; Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical operates only Pathfinder Vocational Technical as a public school district in NCES's records.

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Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools. · Updated August 2026