Is Palm Avenue Middle a good school?

Palm Avenue Middle ranks 1820 th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Palm Avenue Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 632 students attended Palm Avenue Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Palm Avenue Middle?

Students at Palm Avenue Middle are 95% Hispanic, 3% African American, 2% White.

What high school do graduates of Palm Avenue Middle attend?

Students who attend Palm Avenue Middle usually go on to attend Wasco High

Palm Avenue Middle

Summary:

Palm Avenue Middle is a public middle school located in Wasco, CA, serving 601 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Wasco Union Elementary School District, which is ranked 1222 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Palm Avenue Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom half of California middle schools, ranking around 1800 out of 2800 schools in recent years and receiving a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates that have risen from 3.9% in 2017-2018 to 28.0% in 2021-2022, well above the state and district averages. Academically, Palm Avenue Middle students perform below the state and district averages in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels, with only 38.5% of students proficient or better in ELA and 15.42% proficient or better in Mathematics in 2023-2024.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Thomas Jefferson Middle (also in Wasco) and schools in the Rosedale and Delano districts, Palm Avenue Middle generally performs worse academically. For example, Rosedale Middle, which is about 18 miles away, has significantly higher proficiency rates in ELA, Math, and Science, ranking in the top 20% of California middle schools. Additionally, Palm Avenue Middle's subgroup performance, such as for female, male, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students, is generally in the bottom half of California middle schools, suggesting potential equity concerns that may need to be addressed.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1017 Palm Ave.
Wasco, CA 93280-2112

(661) 758-7130

District: Wasco Union Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
1820^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,209

Students who attend Palm Avenue Middle usually attend:

High:

Wasco High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.0

Number of students: 632

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.3%

African American:

2.5%

White:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92.2%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Palm Avenue Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Palm Avenue Middle is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2019 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.28. (See more...)

Compare Details Palm Avenue Middle ranks worse than 65.5% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.61. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (95.3%), African American (2.5%), White (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 92.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palm Avenue Middle is 22. (See more...)

Compare Palm Avenue Middle employs 28.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palm Avenue Middle is $6,209.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Palm Avenue Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Palm Avenue Middle 1820^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Palm Avenue Middle in the ranking list.)

Wasco Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Wasco Union Elementary 1222^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Palm Avenue Middle?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Palm Avenue Middle

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	14.11	4400^th	4809	8.5%
2005	14.06	4398^th	4822	8.8%
2006	16.84	4225^th	4818	12.3%
2007	14.57	4669^th	5113	8.7%
2008	7.33	5032^nd	5113	1.6%
2009	5.18	5151^st	5193	0.8%
2010	6.29	5250^th	5314	1.2%
2011	11.92	5129^th	5377	4.6%
2012	13.00	5074^th	5390	5.9%
2013	18.97	4805^th	5530	13.1%
2015	15.05	5093^rd	5611	9.2%
2016	17.54	4833^rd	5614	13.9%
2017	20.97	4600^th	5692	19.2%
2018	24.88	4247^th	5662	25.0%
2019	22.28	4606^th	5789	20.4%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Palm Avenue Middle

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Palm Avenue Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	29.95	1779^th	2740	35.1%
2023	29.96	1820^th	2802	35.0%
2024	29.61	1820^th	2777	34.5%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Palm Avenue Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	40.62	737^th	1540	52.1%
2023	40.70	750^th	1529	50.9%
2024	35.36	928^th	1477	37.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Palm Avenue Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.02	1146^th	1538	25.5%
2024	33.65	974^th	1550	37.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palm Avenue Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	39.96	1329^th	2458	45.9%
2023	39.32	1365^th	2549	46.4%
2024	36.70	1503^rd	2575	41.6%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Palm Avenue Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	30.38	1655^th	2509	34.0%
2023	28.53	1715^th	2547	32.7%
2024	32.92	1575^th	2546	38.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Palm Avenue Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	28.49	1116^th	1531	27.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Palm Avenue Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	29.35	1682^nd	2527	33.4%
2023	31.50	1612^th	2558	37.0%
2024	24.95	1869^th	2547	26.6%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Palm Avenue Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	40.54	1274^th	2359	46.0%
2023	39.62	1285^th	2391	46.3%
2024	37.74	1379^th	2383	42.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Palm Avenue Middle.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Palm Avenue Middle, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Palm Avenue Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	173	79	4	460	3	n/a	n/a	0	719
1989	154	44	0	529	0	n/a	n/a	0	727
1990	156	40	1	628	0	n/a	n/a	0	825
1991	219	27	1	646	0	n/a	n/a	0	893
1992	179	64	11	675	0	n/a	n/a	0	929
1993	199	48	3	674	0	n/a	n/a	0	924
1994	177	50	3	623	2	n/a	n/a	0	855
1995	125	46	14	616	1	n/a	n/a	0	802
1996	125	46	14	616	1	n/a	n/a	0	802
1997	124	37	9	631	0	n/a	n/a	0	801
1998	111	38	4	640	1	n/a	n/a	0	794
1999	107	34	6	642	0	n/a	n/a	0	789
2000	103	44	3	701	1	n/a	n/a	1	853
2001	110	42	7	736	1	n/a	n/a	0	896
2002	93	45	4	816	1	n/a	n/a	0	959
2003	93	45	4	816	1	n/a	n/a	0	959
2004	92	43	7	856	1	n/a	n/a	4	1003
2005	80	42	6	907	0	n/a	n/a	10	1045
2006	68	31	7	916	1	n/a	n/a	8	1031
2007	62	36	5	929	1	n/a	n/a	7	1040
2008	45	22	1	661	1	n/a	n/a	0	730
2009	39	30	3	665	1	0	3	0	741
2010	49	24	1	643	0	0	3	0	720
2011	48	14	1	633	0	0	2	0	698
2012	43	11	1	642	0	0	2	0	699
2013	33	15	4	600	0	0	2	0	654
2014	22	8	4	583	0	0	2	0	619
2015	25	9	3	606	0	0	2	0	645
2016	33	3	4	639	0	1	2	0	682
2017	25	4	6	639	0	2	2	0	678
2018	20	16	7	702	0	2	3	0	750
2019	16	14	12	653	0	0	4	0	699
2020	25	15	8	564	0	0	0	0	612
2021	22	15	12	513	0	0	0	0	562
2022	23	18	9	517	0	0	0	0	567
2023	16	15	3	567	0	0	0	0	601
2024	11	16	2	602	0	0	1	0	632

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Palm Avenue Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	719	30.0	23.9	n/a
1989	727	30.9	23.5	n/a
1990	825	37.0	22.2	n/a
1991	893	41.9	21.3	n/a
1992	929	42.6	21.8	70.8
1993	924	40.0	23.1	68.5
1994	855	40.0	21.4	72
1995	802	35.0	22.9	72.3
1996	802	35.0	22.9	72.3
1997	801	35.0	22.9	72.4
1998	794	34.0	23.4	81
1999	789	35.0	22.5	80.1
2000	853	36.0	23.7	85.3
2001	896	38.0	23.6	84.6
2002	959	42.0	22.8	87.7
2003	959	42.0	22.8	87.7
2004	1003	42.0	23.9	92.1
2005	1045	43.0	24.3	88.4
2006	1031	42.0	24.5	89
2007	1040	42.0	24.8	91.8
2008	730	41.4	17.6	87.5
2009	741	37.8	18.5	85.8
2010	720	33.0	21.8	87.8
2011	698	n/a	n/a	96.3
2012	699	26.0	26.8	n/a
2013	654	23.5	27.8	80.9
2014	619	23.5	26.3	88.2
2015	645	25.0	25.8	88.8
2016	682	28.0	24.3	90
2017	678	29.2	23.1	89.8
2018	750	32.0	23.4	90.1
2019	699	29.2	23.8	90.1
2020	612	n/a	n/a	85.6
2021	562	26.2	21.4	87.7
2022	567	29.0	19.5	92.9
2023	601	29.1	20.6	91.3
2024	632	28.6	22.0	92.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Palm Avenue Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	719	30.0	23.9	n/a
1989	727	30.9	23.5	n/a
1990	825	37.0	22.2	n/a
1991	893	41.9	21.3	n/a
1992	929	42.6	21.8	70.8
1993	924	40.0	23.1	68.5
1994	855	40.0	21.4	72
1995	802	35.0	22.9	72.3
1996	802	35.0	22.9	72.3
1997	801	35.0	22.9	72.4
1998	794	34.0	23.4	81
1999	789	35.0	22.5	80.1
2000	853	36.0	23.7	85.3
2001	896	38.0	23.6	84.6
2002	959	42.0	22.8	87.7
2003	959	42.0	22.8	87.7
2004	1003	42.0	23.9	92.1
2005	1045	43.0	24.3	88.4
2006	1031	42.0	24.5	89
2007	1040	42.0	24.8	91.8
2008	730	41.4	17.6	87.5
2009	741	37.8	18.5	85.8
2010	720	33.0	21.8	87.8
2011	698	n/a	n/a	96.3
2012	699	26.0	26.8	n/a
2013	654	23.5	27.8	80.9
2014	619	23.5	26.3	88.2
2015	645	25.0	25.8	88.8
2016	682	28.0	24.3	90
2017	678	29.2	23.1	89.8
2018	750	32.0	23.4	90.1
2019	699	29.2	23.8	90.1
2020	612	n/a	n/a	85.6
2021	562	26.2	21.4	87.7
2022	567	29.0	19.5	92.9
2023	601	29.1	20.6	91.3
2024	632	28.6	22.0	92.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates