1
What do you wish you knew before starting at Palmer Way?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
387
Elementary
DISTRICT 396 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NATIONAL ELEMENTARY·NCES 062667004050
Palmer Way
2900 Palmer St., National City, CA 91950 · (619) 336-8900 · San Diego County
GRADES KG–06ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL387 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 61% of California public elementary schools
- B-Test 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.
- B+Three-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
22.8:1
17 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 23.6:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
82%
318 students
DISTRICT 85% · STATE 65%
Community
1
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 | 67 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 49 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 53 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 44 | 11% |
| Grade 4 | 58 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 54 | 14% |
| Grade 6 | 62 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (67) is 8% larger than its 6th grade class (62).
Student demographics
44%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 31% · 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
43.8%
CA avg 49.1% . -5.3pp since 2014
Math
35.7%
CA avg 37.7% . +5.7pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 44 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 36 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 5 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 6 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 21.1% | 22.6% | 22.1% | 34.1% |
| Math | 16.0% | 19.7% | 26.3% | 38.0% |
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 | 43.8% | 35.7% |
| 2023-24 | 40.5% | 32.6% |
| 2022-23 | 38.8% | 32.0% |
| 2021-22 | 39.8% | 27.6% |
| 2018-19 | 56.2% | 39.6% |
| 2017-18 | 57.1% | 40.1% |
| 2016-17 | 56.1% | 34.8% |
| 2015-16 | 51.0% | 36.0% |
| 2014-15 | 49.0% | 30.0% |
% 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
38.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
31.4%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+6.8pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 38% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 31% 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 Palmer Way
Palmer Way's state test result (38.1% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer Way this school | 387 | 82.2% | 38.1% |
| G. W. Hellyer Elementary San Jose | 387 | 80.9% | 40.1% |
| Captain Jason M. Dahl Elementary San Jose | 396 | 85.6% | 20.9% |
| Gidley Elementary El Monte | 454 | 82.8% | 50.9% |
| Vine Elementary West Covina | 346 | 79.2% | 52.7% |
| Cameron Elementary West Covina | 363 | 86.5% | 39.1% |
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 Palmer Way ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 38.1% | #2,650 of 5,151 | #239 of 392 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 35.7% | #2,682 of 5,172 ▲ 138 | #239 of 393 ▲ 7 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 43.8% | #2,578 of 5,172 ▲ 106 | #244 of 393 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +6.0pp | #1,372 of 5,116 | #89 of 387 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 387 | #3,844 of 5,915 | #293 of 453 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.8:1 | #2,791 of 5,352 | #185 of 418 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 43.6% | #3,212 of 5,354 | #305 of 418 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 82.2% | #1,958 of 5,625 | #91 of 442 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -30.1% | #537 of 3,837 | #32 of 279 |
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
387
-107 (-22%) vs 2020
-45% since 1990-91, when it was 701
Student : Teacher
22.8:1
was 24.7:1
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 | 387 | 17 | 22.8:1 | 82% (318) |
| 2023-24 | 415 | 17 | 24.4:1 | 75% (313) |
| 2022-23 | 409 | 18 | 22.7:1 | 75% (308) |
| 2020-21 | 494 | 20 | 24.7:1 | 67% (333) |
| 2017-18 | 554 | 23 | 24.1:1 | 78% (434) |
| 2015-16 | 590 | 24 | 24.6:1 | 72% (424) |
| 2010-11 | 610 | N/A | N/A | 73% (447) |
| 2000-01 | 663 | 33 | 20.1:1 | 100% (660) |
| 1990-91 | 701 | 27 | 26.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Palmer Way.
Since 2017-18: students down 30% (554 to 387); teachers down 26% (23 to 17).
About Palmer Way
In National City, California, part of San Diego County, Palmer Way is an elementary school. It is open to students in kindergarten through 6 and enrolls 387 students.
National Elementary is made up of 10 schools with 3,964 students in all.
The share of Hispanic students at Palmer Way is 72%, a majority. The school is also 20% Asian and 5% multiracial. That is higher than the 35% Hispanic share among all San Diego County residents. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 44%.
On staff are 17 full-time-equivalent teachers; the student-to-teacher ratio is 22.8:1. The average ratio among elementary schools in California is similar, at 22.3:1. Palmer Way has a free or reduced-price lunch rate of 82%. Public schools in San Diego County average 54%.
Among California public elementary schools, Palmer Way outscored 61%, which works out to a B on the allk12 Grade.
Palmer Way sits between the top and bottom 10% of California schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate across its state test results of 38.1% and a predicted 31.4%.
Looking at the county, San Diego County, median household income comes to about $106,268, about 43% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 7% of residents are in poverty. The county has 766 public schools and about 467,437 students.
About 0.5 miles separate Palmer Way from the closest public school, Ira Harbison. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. Local comparison: Palmer Way ranks 1st of 8 nearby schools, at 38.1% versus a 29.5% average.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Suburb: Large, meaning it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
The school's student count decreased 22% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years. The school's ratio dropped from 24.7:1 to 22.8:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Anyone can start a thread about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures at Palmer Way. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
San Diego County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,288,774
Census ACS
Median income
$106,268
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
766
467,437 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in National Elementary
- Central ElementaryElementary · 477 students
- Las PalmasElementary · 458 students
- OlivewoodElementary · 424 students
- Lincoln AcresElementary · 423 students
- Ira HarbisonElementary · 393 students
- El Toyon ElementaryElementary · 381 students
Other schools in National City
- San Diego Workforce Innovation HighHigh · 2,722 students
- Sweetwater HighHigh · 2,290 students
- Granger Junior HighMiddle · 724 students
- National City MiddleMiddle · 709 students
- Central ElementaryElementary · 477 students
- Las PalmasElementary · 458 students
Nearby schools
- Ira Harbison0.5 mi · 393
- Paradise Hills Elementary0.5 mi · 213
- Granger Junior High0.5 mi · 724
- Lincoln Acres0.6 mi · 423
- Las Palmas0.7 mi · 458
- San Diego Workforce Innovation High0.9 mi · 2,722
Frequently asked questions
About Palmer WayWhat is the total enrollment at Palmer Way?
Palmer Way enrolls approximately 387 students in grades KG-06.
What grades does Palmer Way serve?
Palmer Way serves grades KG-06.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmer Way?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Palmer Way is approximately 22.8:1 (17 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Palmer Way?
At Palmer Way, the student body is approximately 1% White, 72% Hispanic, 1% Black, 20% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is Palmer Way in?
Palmer Way is part of National Elementary.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.