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Welcome to the Palmdale High community. What's one thing that would make Palmdale High even better?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
2,208
High
DISTRICT 1,631 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ANTELOPE VALLEY UNION HIGH·NCES 060282000205
Palmdale High
2137 East Avenue R, Palmdale, CA 93550 · (661) 273-3181 · Los Angeles County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL2,208 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
21.8:1
101 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.0:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
69%
1,513 students
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 526 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 566 | 26% |
| Grade 11 | 547 | 25% |
| Grade 12 | 569 | 26% |
Student demographics
34%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 51% · 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
35.0%
CA avg 49.1% . -7.0pp since 2014
Math
7.1%
CA avg 37.7% . -5.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 35 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 7 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 7 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 6 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 8.8% | 26.2% | 25.5% | 39.5% |
| Math | 1.7% | 5.3% | 10.5% | 82.4% |
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 | 35.0% | 7.1% |
| 2023-24 | 31.2% | 5.3% |
| 2022-23 | 29.9% | 3.2% |
| 2021-22 | 23.9% | 2.8% |
| 2018-19 | 28.4% | 5.5% |
| 2017-18 | 29.0% | 6.1% |
| 2016-17 | 37.8% | 6.1% |
| 2015-16 | 40.0% | 8.0% |
| 2014-15 | 42.0% | 13.0% |
% 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
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of CA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
19.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
39.4%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-19.8pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 20% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 39% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
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 Palmdale High
Palmdale High's state test result (19.6% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmdale High this school | 2,208 | 68.5% | 19.6% |
| Jordan High Long Beach | 2,272 | 74.0% | 21.9% |
| Highland High Palmdale | 2,706 | 63.9% | 27.1% |
| Colony High Ontario | 2,109 | 69.7% | 38.0% |
| Wilmer Amina Carter High Rialto | 1,951 | 78.3% | 45.1% |
| William J. (Pete) Knight High Palmdale | 2,349 | 58.1% | 28.3% |
Matched among California high 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 Palmdale High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 19.6% | #1,003 of 1,052 | #220 of 228 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 7.1% | #1,018 of 1,056 ▲ 11 | #225 of 229 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 35.0% | #957 of 1,056 ▲ 14 | #206 of 229 ▲ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +7.7pp | #230 of 1,044 | #76 of 229 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,208 | #186 of 2,093 | #39 of 486 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.8:1 | #824 of 1,352 | #249 of 358 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 33.9% | #935 of 1,351 | #175 of 359 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 68.5% | #896 of 1,575 | #294 of 396 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -12.8% | #359 of 802 | #135 of 227 |
Ranked against other public high 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
2,208
-359 (-14%) vs 2020
-14% since 1990-91, when it was 2,582
Student : Teacher
21.8:1
was 22.5:1
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 | 2,208 | 101.2 | 21.8:1 | 69% (1,513) |
| 2023-24 | 2,358 | 104.4 | 22.6:1 | 74% (1,740) |
| 2022-23 | 2,443 | 105.2 | 23.2:1 | 74% (1,813) |
| 2020-21 | 2,567 | 114 | 22.5:1 | 74% (1,904) |
| 2017-18 | 2,531 | 115.7 | 21.9:1 | 84% (2,127) |
| 2015-16 | 2,688 | 122 | 22.0:1 | 79% (2,112) |
| 2010-11 | 3,023 | N/A | N/A | 76% (2,307) |
| 2000-01 | 3,294 | 131 | 25.1:1 | 23% (750) |
| 1990-91 | 2,582 | 93 | 27.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Palmdale High.
Since 2017-18: students down 13% (2,531 to 2,208); teachers down 13% (115.7 to 101.2).
About Palmdale High
Palmdale High is a large high school in California, located in Palmdale. The school counts 2,208 students across grades 9 through 12. The typical figure for high schools in California is about 838 students.
Palmdale High is a school in Antelope Valley Union High. The district has 13 schools and 21,202 students.
By race and ethnicity, Palmdale High is 80% Hispanic. After that, the student body is 14% Black and 3% White. Census figures show Los Angeles County is about 48% Hispanic. Palmdale High has a diversity index of 34%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
The ratio of students to teachers is 21.8:1, with 101.2 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff. The 18.2:1 average for high schools in California is lower than this school's figure. Lunch subsidy eligibility at Palmdale High is 69%. Across public schools in Los Angeles County, the average is about the same, 70%.
Palmdale High posts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 19.6%. Schools with its free or reduced-price lunch share in California are predicted to post 39.4%, so the school is 19.8 points behind and in the state's bottom 10%.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Los Angeles County show that median household income is about $90,112, roughly 36% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Federal data list 2,244 public schools in Los Angeles County, with a combined enrollment of about 1,265,907.
The shortest distance from Palmdale High to another public school is about 0.2 miles, to Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. On state test proficiency, Palmdale High ranks 3rd in a group of 7 nearby schools.
NCES assigns Palmdale High the locale Suburb: Large, meaning in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
A comparison of 2020-21 and 2024-25 shows enrollment down 14%, from 2,567 to 2,208.
To ask about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater, start a discussion on this page. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Los Angeles County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
9,808,667
Census ACS
Median income
$90,112
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
2,244
1,265,907 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Antelope Valley Union High
- Quartz Hill HighHigh · 3,175 students
- Highland HighHigh · 2,706 students
- Lancaster HighHigh · 2,688 students
- Eastside HighHigh · 2,631 students
- William J. (Pete) Knight HighHigh · 2,349 students
- Littlerock HighHigh · 1,507 students
Other schools in Palmdale
- Highland HighHigh · 2,706 students
- William J. (Pete) Knight HighHigh · 2,349 students
- Palmdale Aerospace AcademyCombined · 2,259 students
- Hillview MiddleMiddle · 1,100 students
- Antelope Valley Learning AcademyCombined · 1,059 students
- Los Amigos - Dual ImmersionElementary · 1,027 students
Nearby schools
- Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy0.2 mi · 747
- Desert Rose Elementary0.6 mi · 614
- Tamarisk Elementary0.7 mi · 664
- Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy1.2 mi · 822
- Palmdale Aerospace Academy1.2 mi · 2,259
- Tumbleweed Elementary1.2 mi · 502
Frequently asked questions
About Palmdale HighWhat is the total enrollment at Palmdale High?
Palmdale High enrolls approximately 2,208 students in grades 09-12.
Is Palmdale High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Palmdale High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmdale High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Palmdale High is approximately 21.8:1 (101 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Palmdale High?
At Palmdale High, the student body is approximately 3% White, 80% Hispanic, 14% Black, 1% Asian, 2% Two or more.
Is Palmdale High public or private?
Palmdale High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Antelope Valley Union High.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.