Is El Carmelo Elementary a good school?

El Carmelo Elementary ranks 907 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend El Carmelo Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 317 students attended El Carmelo Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of El Carmelo Elementary?

Students at El Carmelo Elementary are 38% Asian, 26% White, 22% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of El Carmelo Elementary attend?

Students who attend El Carmelo Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle

El Carmelo Elementary

Summary:

El Carmelo Elementary is a public K-5 school in Palo Alto, California, serving a student population of 317. As part of the highly-ranked Palo Alto Unified School District, El Carmelo has consistently ranked among the top elementary schools in California, with its highest ranking being 106 out of 1,417 schools in the 2020-2021 school year.

El Carmelo Elementary's students consistently outperform the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with 65.32% proficient or better in ELA and 70.17% in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 47.04% and 35.54%, respectively. The school's performance across different student subgroups is also noteworthy, with high rankings for female, male, and English Language Learner students. However, the school's rankings for Hispanic and low socioeconomic status students are relatively lower, suggesting an area for potential improvement. Additionally, El Carmelo has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.1% in 2020-2021 to 15.3% in 2022-2023, which is worth monitoring and addressing.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District, El Carmelo generally performs well, but there are some notable differences. For example, Lucille M. Nixon Elementary and Herbert Hoover Elementary consistently outperform El Carmelo in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency rates, as well as in overall statewide rankings. Additionally, some nearby schools, such as Fairmeadow Elementary and Juana Briones Elementary, have managed to maintain lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to El Carmelo.

Detail:

Public K-5

3024 Bryant St.
Palo Alto, CA 94306-2335

(650) 856-0960

District: Palo Alto Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
907^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,289

Students who attend El Carmelo Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 19.0

Number of students: 317

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

37.5%

White:

25.9%

Hispanic:

22.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare El Carmelo Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details El Carmelo Elementary ranks better than 84.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 11^th among 12 ranked elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.96. (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 Student population at El Carmelo Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (37.5%), White (25.9%), Hispanic (22.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at El Carmelo Elementary is 19, which is the 6^th best among 12 elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare El Carmelo Elementary employs 16.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at El Carmelo Elementary is $12,289. 10 elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

El Carmelo Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks El Carmelo Elementary 907^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See El Carmelo Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Palo Alto Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Palo Alto Unified 39^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for El Carmelo Elementary

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Rank History for all students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	91.55	422^nd	4809	91.2%
2005	93.79	282^nd	4822	94.2%
2006	93.83	280^th	4818	94.2%
2007	93.39	323^rd	5113	93.7%
2008	94.95	190^th	5113	96.3%
2009	91.77	363^rd	5193	93.0%
2010	92.87	277^th	5314	94.8%
2011	91.96	318^th	5377	94.1%
2012	93.25	208^th	5390	96.1%
2013	93.27	234^th	5530	95.8%
2015	98.29	72^nd	5611	98.7%
2016	97.72	84^th	5614	98.5%
2017	95.29	307^th	5692	94.6%
2018	94.74	304^th	5662	94.6%
2019	94.05	369^th	5789	93.6%
2021	93.76	106^th	1417	92.5%
2022	94.25	419^th	5883	92.9%
2023	94.76	374^th	5874	93.6%
2024	85.96	907^th	5862	84.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	77.90	59^th	339	82.6%
2019	92.74	2^nd	445	99.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	92.07	147^th	3246	95.5%
2019	88.06	196^th	3275	94.0%
2024	78.65	259^th	3160	91.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	71.30	1122^nd	5173	78.3%
2024	48.10	2521^st	5511	54.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	96.21	140^th	5413	97.4%
2019	93.50	320^th	5492	94.2%
2021	91.25	129^th	1267	89.8%
2022	91.50	552^nd	5635	90.2%
2023	92.54	467^th	5617	91.7%
2024	86.05	824^th	5605	85.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.59	535^th	5431	90.1%
2019	92.64	404^th	5510	92.7%
2021	92.58	106^th	1272	91.7%
2022	94.02	373^rd	5663	93.4%
2023	94.87	318^th	5650	94.4%
2024	81.70	1015^th	5636	82.0%

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

Rank History for Asian students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	75.45	247^th	1071	76.9%
2019	82.96	66^th	1149	94.3%
2022	77.02	225^th	1154	80.5%
2023	82.61	95^th	1190	92.0%
2024	69.54	419^th	1203	65.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	58.71	1767^th	4963	64.4%
2022	60.52	1614^th	5084	68.3%
2023	64.95	1404^th	5098	72.5%
2024	50.27	2248^th	5102	55.9%

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

Rank History for White students at El Carmelo Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	79.69	461^st	2737	83.2%
2019	75.19	624^th	2834	78.0%
2022	86.34	221^st	2726	91.9%
2023	77.59	519^th	2662	80.5%
2024	43.94	1590^th	2647	39.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White 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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for El Carmelo Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	230	7	29	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	283
1989	242	12	20	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	297
1990	253	14	22	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	314
1991	260	15	29	28	0	n/a	n/a	0	332
1992	251	15	38	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	330
1993	263	20	46	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	363
1994	288	21	48	32	3	n/a	n/a	0	392
1995	304	21	52	30	3	n/a	n/a	0	410
1996	304	21	52	30	3	n/a	n/a	0	410
1997	303	16	50	33	3	n/a	n/a	0	405
1998	257	22	56	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	368
1999	263	16	61	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	376
2000	260	14	77	33	1	n/a	n/a	0	385
2001	233	15	62	34	1	n/a	n/a	2	347
2002	214	11	70	43	2	n/a	n/a	17	357
2003	214	11	70	43	2	n/a	n/a	17	357
2004	174	33	85	46	0	n/a	n/a	15	353
2005	171	9	85	49	0	n/a	n/a	52	366
2006	155	7	83	56	0	n/a	n/a	59	360
2007	144	9	96	58	0	n/a	n/a	58	365
2008	146	10	97	52	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	305
2009	137	11	119	44	0	1	58	0	370
2010	135	9	123	66	1	1	46	0	381
2011	138	12	144	59	1	1	30	0	385
2012	152	12	151	62	1	0	37	0	415
2013	150	10	143	58	2	0	50	0	413
2014	144	10	144	63	2	0	54	0	417
2015	137	6	150	62	1	0	51	0	407
2016	128	4	155	57	1	2	48	0	395
2017	119	4	129	52	0	3	52	0	359
2018	123	2	148	55	0	3	46	0	377
2019	109	7	144	58	0	3	39	0	360
2020	95	11	148	57	0	4	32	0	347
2021	73	8	131	48	1	2	32	0	295
2022	79	8	126	56	1	2	31	0	303
2023	82	4	119	71	0	2	39	0	317

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 El Carmelo Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	283	14.9	18.9	n/a
1989	297	14.0	21.2	n/a
1990	314	15.1	20.7	n/a
1991	332	15.0	22.1	n/a
1992	330	15.2	21.7	8.2
1993	363	17.5	20.7	11.3
1994	392	18.5	21.2	12
1995	410	17.7	23.2	11
1996	410	17.7	23.2	11
1997	405	19.5	20.8	9.4
1998	368	20.5	18.0	8.7
1999	376	21.5	17.5	6.6
2000	385	21.6	17.8	7.3
2001	347	19.8	17.5	6.1
2002	357	20.7	17.2	17.6
2003	357	20.7	17.2	17.6
2004	353	19.7	17.9	6.8
2005	366	19.9	18.4	13.1
2006	360	20.0	18.0	11.6
2007	365	26.0	14.0	11.4
2008	305	28.0	10.9	16.1
2009	370	23.0	13.2	10
2010	381	20.2	18.8	11
2011	385	n/a	n/a	10.4
2012	415	19.5	21.1	n/a
2013	413	20.0	20.6	11.4
2014	417	21.0	19.7	12.9
2015	407	19.0	21.4	12.5
2016	395	19.0	20.7	11.4
2017	359	17.1	20.9	14.8
2018	377	19.4	19.3	17.2
2019	360	19.7	18.2	18.6
2020	347	n/a	n/a	14.1
2021	295	18.6	15.8	16.9
2022	303	16.8	17.9	16.8
2023	317	16.6	19.0	18

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 El Carmelo Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	283	14.9	18.9	n/a
1989	297	14.0	21.2	n/a
1990	314	15.1	20.7	n/a
1991	332	15.0	22.1	n/a
1992	330	15.2	21.7	8.2
1993	363	17.5	20.7	11.3
1994	392	18.5	21.2	12
1995	410	17.7	23.2	11
1996	410	17.7	23.2	11
1997	405	19.5	20.8	9.4
1998	368	20.5	18.0	8.7
1999	376	21.5	17.5	6.6
2000	385	21.6	17.8	7.3
2001	347	19.8	17.5	6.1
2002	357	20.7	17.2	17.6
2003	357	20.7	17.2	17.6
2004	353	19.7	17.9	6.8
2005	366	19.9	18.4	13.1
2006	360	20.0	18.0	11.6
2007	365	26.0	14.0	11.4
2008	305	28.0	10.9	16.1
2009	370	23.0	13.2	10
2010	381	20.2	18.8	11
2011	385	n/a	n/a	10.4
2012	415	19.5	21.1	n/a
2013	413	20.0	20.6	11.4
2014	417	21.0	19.7	12.9
2015	407	19.0	21.4	12.5
2016	395	19.0	20.7	11.4
2017	359	17.1	20.9	14.8
2018	377	19.4	19.3	17.2
2019	360	19.7	18.2	18.6
2020	347	n/a	n/a	14.1
2021	295	18.6	15.8	16.9
2022	303	16.8	17.9	16.8
2023	317	16.6	19.0	18

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.

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