Enrollment
2,349
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Palmdale, CA
William J. (Pete) Knight High
Federal NCES profile for William J. (Pete) Knight High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060282011346
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William J. (Pete) Knight High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- students per teacher
- 52.8%
- free-lunch eligible
William J. (Pete) Knight High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William J. (Pete) Knight High ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Antelope Valley Union High · California
NCES ID 060282011346 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
118.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William J. (Pete) Knight High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at William J. (Pete) Knight High
William J. (Pete) Knight High is a higher-need, large high school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 2,349 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,349 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 259 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #81.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 36/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 294 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Palmdale's high schools, it stands alongside Highland High (2,706 students): William J. (Pete) Knight High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.9:1 vs 24.8:1).
Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students) and Highland High (2,706 students) alongside William J. (Pete) Knight 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 William J. (Pete) Knight High compares
William J. (Pete) Knight 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 | 19.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.8% | ▼ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,349 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,349
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 34% in California - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.9%
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
$15,679
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
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 294 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
125
in-school suspensions + 168 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.5 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 78.9%
African American 13.2%
White 3.2%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.8, William J. (Pete) Knight High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Antelope Valley Union High, which includes William J. (Pete) Knight High.
$15,679
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.3%
State 64.5%
Federal 15.3%
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 William J. (Pete) Knight High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartz Hill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmdale High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William J. (Pete) Knight High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,175
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,706
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 2,688
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,631
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,208
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Palmdale
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~2,349 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William J. (Pete) Knight High's federal record.
- Compare William J. (Pete) Knight High against another school. Compare schools
- Antelope Valley 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 William J. (Pete) Knight High
How many students attend William J. (Pete) Knight High?
William J. (Pete) Knight High has 2,349 students enrolled. It is a high school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William J. (Pete) Knight High?
The student-teacher ratio at William J. (Pete) Knight High is 19.9:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 27% 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 William J. (Pete) Knight High?
52.8% of students at William J. (Pete) Knight High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William J. (Pete) Knight High?
The largest demographic group at William J. (Pete) Knight High is Hispanic or Latino at 78.9% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William J. (Pete) Knight High?
William J. (Pete) Knight High has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does William J. (Pete) Knight High rank among high schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, William J. (Pete) Knight High ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Palmdale, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Palmdale on the city page.
Is William J. (Pete) Knight High a good school?
William J. (Pete) Knight High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Antelope Valley Union High?
Besides William J. (Pete) Knight High, Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students), Highland High (2,706 students), and Lancaster High (2,688 students). See the Antelope Valley 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.