Enrollment
282
Elementary
DISTRICT 330 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PALO ALTO UNIFIED·NCES 062961004583
El Carmelo Elementary
3024 Bryant St., Palo Alto, CA 94306 · (650) 856-0960 · Santa Clara County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL282 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 71% of California public elementary schools
- ATest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- CThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
19.3:1
15 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 19.1:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
18%
52 students
DISTRICT 14% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 37 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 42 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 45 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 46 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 67 | 24% |
| Grade 5 | 45 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (37) is 18% smaller than its 5th grade class (45).
Student demographics
74%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
74.0%
CA avg 49.1% . -11.0pp since 2014
Math
72.9%
CA avg 37.7% . -15.1pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 74 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 73 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 11 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 15 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 52.0% | 22.0% | 12.0% | 14.0% |
| Math | 51.0% | 21.9% | 14.2% | 12.9% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 74.0% | 72.9% |
| 2023-24 | 65.3% | 70.2% |
| 2022-23 | 75.3% | 77.6% |
| 2021-22 | 77.2% | 73.8% |
| 2020-21 | 73.6% | 73.5% |
| 2018-19 | 79.5% | 78.7% |
| 2017-18 | 76.9% | 84.1% |
| 2016-17 | 74.2% | 83.2% |
| 2015-16 | 86.0% | 88.0% |
| 2014-15 | 85.0% | 88.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
70.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
68.7%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+2.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 71% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 69% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like El Carmelo Elementary
El Carmelo Elementary's state test result (70.9% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Carmelo Elementary this school | 282 | 18.4% | 70.9% |
| Sutter Elementary Santa Clara | 314 | 14.6% | 67.7% |
| Walter Hays Elementary Palo Alto | 305 | 17.0% | 78.1% |
| Benjamin Bubb Elementary Mountain View | 312 | 17.3% | 73.4% |
| Riverview STEM Elementary Rancho Cordova | 357 | 16.5% | 85.8% |
| Point Vicente Elementary Rancho Palos Verdes | 334 | 21.3% | 77.1% |
Matched among California elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where El Carmelo Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Santa Clara County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 70.9% | #616 of 5,151 | #72 of 226 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 72.9% | #486 of 5,172 ▲ 107 | #68 of 226 ▲ 6 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 74.0% | #542 of 5,172 ▲ 401 | #61 of 226 ▲ 27 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -2.1pp | #1,198 of 5,116 | #93 of 225 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 282 | #4,911 of 5,915 | #217 of 255 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.3:1 | #634 of 5,352 | #42 of 247 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 74.0% | #204 of 5,354 | #12 of 247 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 18.4% | #5,198 of 5,625 | #182 of 252 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -25.2% | #892 of 3,837 | #70 of 189 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
282
-13 (-4%) vs 2020
-15% since 1990-91, when it was 332
Student : Teacher
19.3:1
was 16.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 282 | 14.6 | 19.3:1 | 18% (52) |
| 2023-24 | 314 | 15.7 | 20.0:1 | 21% (65) |
| 2022-23 | 317 | 16.6 | 19.1:1 | 18% (57) |
| 2020-21 | 295 | 18 | 16.4:1 | 17% (50) |
| 2017-18 | 377 | 19.5 | 19.3:1 | 17% (65) |
| 2015-16 | 395 | 19 | 20.8:1 | 11% (45) |
| 2010-11 | 385 | N/A | N/A | 10% (40) |
| 2000-01 | 347 | 19 | 18.3:1 | 6% (21) |
| 1990-91 | 332 | 15 | 22.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for El Carmelo Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 25% (377 to 282); teachers down 25% (19.5 to 14.6).
About El Carmelo Elementary
El Carmelo Elementary, a small elementary school, is located in Palo Alto, California. It covers kindergarten through 5, with a total enrollment of 282 students. Enrollment is 39% lower than the average for elementary schools in California, which is about 465.
Palo Alto Unified operates 20 schools. Combined enrollment is 10,187 students.
The most common group at El Carmelo Elementary is Asian students, at 36%. The school is also 25% Hispanic, 23% White, 13% multiracial, and 3% Black. El Carmelo Elementary's diversity index is 74%, against a US figure of 70%.
Staffing totals 14.6 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 19.3:1. On average, elementary schools in California have 22.3:1, compared with 19.3:1 here. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at El Carmelo Elementary is 18%. That is lower than the 37% average for public schools in Santa Clara County.
allk12 grades El Carmelo Elementary a B+. The grade compares the school only with California public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
Given its share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, El Carmelo Elementary would be expected to post about 68.7%. Its actual average proficiency rate on state tests is 70.9%.
Santa Clara County has these Census figures: the median household income is $164,281, about 57% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 4% of residents are in poverty. In all, Santa Clara County has 412 public schools and roughly 230,059 students.
The school nearest to El Carmelo Elementary is Fairmeadow Elementary, at a distance of about 0.8 miles. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. The average proficiency across nearby scored schools is 81.6%; El Carmelo Elementary's is 70.9%, ranking 8th of 9.
NCES lists the school's locale as City: Small. That means it sits inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
Over 4 years, El Carmelo Elementary's enrollment declined 4%, to 282. The school's ratio rose from 16.4:1 to 19.3:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
To ask about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes, start a discussion on this page. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Santa Clara County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,902,047
Census ACS
Median income
$164,281
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
57%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
412
230,059 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Palo Alto Unified
- Palo Alto HighHigh · 1,891 students
- Henry M. Gunn HighHigh · 1,643 students
- Jane Lathrop Stanford MiddleMiddle · 1,002 students
- Frank S. Greene Jr. MiddleMiddle · 732 students
- Ellen Fletcher MiddleMiddle · 572 students
- Ohlone ElementaryElementary · 464 students
Other schools in Palo Alto
- Palo Alto HighHigh · 1,891 students
- Henry M. Gunn HighHigh · 1,643 students
- Jane Lathrop Stanford MiddleMiddle · 1,002 students
- Frank S. Greene Jr. MiddleMiddle · 732 students
- Ellen Fletcher MiddleMiddle · 572 students
- Ohlone ElementaryElementary · 464 students
Nearby schools
- Fairmeadow Elementary0.8 mi · 425
- Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle0.8 mi · 1,002
- Barron Park Elementary0.9 mi · 278
- Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle0.9 mi · 732
- Palo Verde Elementary1.0 mi · 334
- Herbert Hoover Elementary1.0 mi · 389
Frequently asked questions
About El Carmelo ElementaryHow many students attend El Carmelo Elementary?
El Carmelo Elementary enrolls approximately 282 students in grades KG-05.
What grades does El Carmelo Elementary serve?
El Carmelo Elementary serves grades KG-05.
How many teachers does El Carmelo Elementary have?
El Carmelo Elementary employs 15 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 19.3:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at El Carmelo Elementary?
At El Carmelo Elementary, the student body is approximately 23% White, 25% Hispanic, 3% Black, 36% Asian, 13% Two or more.
Is El Carmelo Elementary public or private?
El Carmelo Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Palo Alto Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.