Palmer High

Summary:

Palmer High is a public high school located in Palmer, Massachusetts, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 535 students. The school is part of the Palmer District, which is ranked 304 out of 351 districts in Massachusetts and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Palmer High has a higher percentage of White students compared to the state average, its academic performance has been a concern. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 176 to 302 out of Massachusetts high schools, with a current ranking of 302 and a 1-star rating. Its rankings for specific student groups, such as female students, male students, White students, special education students, and low socioeconomic status students, are generally in the bottom third of Massachusetts high schools. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate has declined from 95.1% in 2020-2021 to 85.1% in 2022-2023, which is lower than the state average, and its dropout rate has increased from 1.2% in 2019-2020 to 9.5% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Belchertown High and Minnechaug Regional High, which are within a 10-mile radius, Palmer High generally underperforms, with significantly higher statewide rankings, graduation rates, and academic proficiency rates. The school's declining performance and socioeconomic factors may be contributing to these challenges, which will need to be addressed to improve the overall quality and outcomes for its students.


Detail:

Public 6-12

 4105 Main Street
       Palmer, MA  01069-1868


(413) 283-6511

District: Palmer

SchoolDigger Rank:
302nd of 348 Massachusetts High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,532 Help


Feeder schools for Palmer High:

Elementary:    Old Mill Pond

Student/teacher ratio:  8.8 Help
Number of students:  535

Racial breakdown:

White:
70.7%
Hispanic:
18.7%
Two or more races:
5.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  36.7% Help


 See top rated Massachusetts high schools

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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Palmer High ranks worse than 65.9% of middle schools in Massachusetts. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.91. (See more...)
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Compare Details Palmer High ranks worse than 86.8% of high schools in Massachusetts. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.77. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Palmer High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.7%), Hispanic (18.7%), two or more races (5%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palmer High is 8.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare Palmer High employs 60.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palmer High is $17,532.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Palmer High:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmer High 325th of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See Palmer High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmer High 302nd of 348 Massachusetts public high schools. (See Palmer High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Palmer:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmer 304th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Palmer High

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Rank History for all middle school students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 40.81 261st 399 34.6%
2007 45.01 248th 399 37.8%
2008 31.70 293rd 407 28.0%
2009 43.29 262nd 409 35.9%
2010 29.59 328th 434 24.4%
2011 37.60 311th 449 30.7%
2012 48.05 262nd 455 42.4%
2013 25.70 353rd 455 22.4%
2014 33.88 321st 455 29.5%
2015 35.64 297th 441 32.7%
2016 15.63 420th 482 12.9%
2017 22.15 383rd 487 21.4%
2018 38.15 302nd 484 37.6%
2019 31.68 343rd 498 31.1%
2021 33.27 324th 501 35.3%
2022 26.90 363rd 497 27.0%
2023 36.15 305th 501 39.1%
2024 30.91 325th 493 34.1%
See the entire list of Massachusetts High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.04 239th 467 48.8%
2019 37.04 315th 484 34.9%
2021 36.98 301st 489 38.4%
2022 23.85 414th 503 17.7%
2023 26.20 336th 444 24.3%
2024 16.57 431st 441 2.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.81 208th 438 52.5%
2019 40.58 277th 452 38.7%
2021 38.64 285th 462 38.3%
2022 23.62 402nd 489 17.8%
2023 37.65 300th 481 37.6%
2024 26.94 354th 469 24.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.93 319th 463 31.1%
2019 27.93 360th 478 24.7%
2021 30.79 329th 483 31.9%
2022 22.33 385th 494 22.1%
2023 35.48 308th 489 37.0%
2024 31.51 320th 481 33.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.12 380th 417 8.9%
2019 24.25 338th 424 20.3%
2021 35.21 260th 431 39.7%
2022 37.44 238th 445 46.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.64 279th 466 40.1%
2019 33.67 321st 478 32.8%
2021 35.78 302nd 485 37.7%
2022 31.85 329th 497 33.8%
2023 36.02 296th 489 39.5%
2024 30.43 322nd 483 33.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Tested In Person students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 35.61 310th 491 36.9%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for middle school Tested Remotely students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 34.81 214th 339 36.9%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.48 132nd 309 57.3%
2019 53.26 131st 322 59.3%
2021 48.56 144th 335 57.0%
2022 25.18 298th 368 19.0%
2023 40.29 186th 364 48.9%
2024 29.06 271st 378 28.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.72 321st 395 18.7%
2019 18.48 342nd 396 13.6%
2021 21.69 323rd 401 19.5%
2022 16.56 358th 404 11.4%
2023 21.81 320th 403 20.6%
2024 17.93 339th 392 13.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Palmer High

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Rank History for all high school students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 43.76 181st 304 40.5%
2004 63.48 129th 307 58.0%
2005 61.49 148th 311 52.4%
2006 33.51 224th 314 28.7%
2007 62.53 130th 316 58.9%
2008 41.59 218th 319 31.7%
2009 38.33 235th 322 27.0%
2010 59.98 172nd 335 48.7%
2011 54.04 202nd 340 40.6%
2012 50.76 218th 340 35.9%
2013 61.56 161st 344 53.2%
2014 61.58 176th 347 49.3%
2015 53.12 212th 354 40.1%
2016 44.32 247th 351 29.6%
2017 45.69 242nd 348 30.5%
2018 39.51 256th 345 25.8%
2019 47.92 213th 351 39.3%
2021 42.25 191st 285 33.0%
2022 31.39 240th 342 29.8%
2023 46.63 195th 347 43.8%
2024 14.77 302nd 348 13.2%
See the entire list of Massachusetts High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.58 267th 344 22.4%
2019 43.22 206th 348 40.8%
2021 38.38 172nd 268 35.8%
2022 30.02 246th 339 27.4%
2023 25.18 226th 301 24.9%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.64 244th 330 26.1%
2019 52.85 167th 330 49.4%
2021 40.63 156th 253 38.3%
2022 27.62 243rd 332 26.8%
2023 51.17 167th 338 50.6%
2024 16.59 297th 338 12.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.91 211th 339 37.8%
2019 39.10 230th 342 32.7%
2021 41.98 183rd 281 34.9%
2022 33.03 236th 340 30.6%
2023 32.29 242nd 339 28.6%
2024 15.47 291st 342 14.9%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Disabled students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.60 237th 299 20.7%
2022 17.83 259th 295 12.2%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.01 277th 343 19.2%
2019 55.98 171st 346 50.6%
2021 43.09 178th 281 36.7%
2022 30.30 241st 339 28.9%
2023 57.03 147th 343 57.1%
2024 13.28 295th 342 13.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Palmer High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.60 261st 303 13.9%
2019 33.30 217th 302 28.1%
2021 30.39 198th 249 20.5%
2022 24.05 239th 300 20.3%
2023 44.40 167th 301 44.5%
2024 2.37 298th 302 1.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary 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.

Palmer High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Palmer High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 407 5 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 414
1989 371 5 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 380
1990 380 6 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 390
1991 394 4 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 402
1992 382 6 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 391
1993 563 11 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 576
1994 614 16 0 8 0 n/a n/a 0 638
1995 616 17 4 3 1 n/a n/a 0 641
1996 616 17 4 3 1 n/a n/a 0 641
1997 652 19 3 4 0 n/a n/a 0 678
1998 699 18 2 5 1 n/a n/a 0 725
1999 713 9 2 8 0 n/a n/a 0 732
2000 790 8 4 3 0 n/a n/a 0 805
2001 772 4 5 6 0 n/a n/a 0 787
2002 716 8 6 7 4 n/a n/a 0 741
2003 716 8 6 7 4 n/a n/a 0 741
2004 671 5 9 10 3 n/a n/a 0 698
2005 653 7 7 10 2 n/a n/a 0 679
2006 665 6 10 7 1 n/a n/a 0 689
2007 651 6 8 16 1 n/a n/a 0 682
2008 633 10 10 15 1 n/a n/a 4 673
2009 631 10 8 15 1 2 2 0 669
2010 593 10 8 16 1 7 6 0 641
2011 509 12 6 17 2 7 5 0 558
2012 501 11 8 14 2 6 5 0 547
2013 469 7 10 27 2 5 12 0 532
2014 450 7 9 19 3 6 10 0 504
2015 434 6 11 23 1 1 12 0 488
2016 434 10 12 25 0 1 7 0 489
2017 423 14 9 30 0 0 10 0 486
2018 589 19 16 62 0 1 26 0 713
2019 551 22 15 63 0 0 28 0 679
2020 523 17 16 70 2 0 34 0 662
2021 466 16 17 65 1 0 34 1 600
2022 420 16 20 77 1 0 29 2 565
2023 378 11 16 100 1 0 27 2 535

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 Palmer High

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 414 n/a n/a n/a
1989 380 n/a n/a n/a
1990 390 n/a n/a n/a
1991 402 n/a n/a n/a
1992 391 n/a n/a n/a
1993 576 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 638 n/a n/a n/a
1995 641 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 641 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 678 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 725 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 732 n/a 0.0 16.5
2000 805 n/a 0.0 14.8
2001 787 n/a 0.0 12.5
2002 741 n/a n/a 14.2
2003 741 n/a n/a 14.2
2004 698 60.3 11.6 0
2005 679 61.0 11.1 10
2006 689 62.6 11.0 33.5
2007 682 53.0 12.9 34
2008 673 49.0 13.7 21.2
2009 669 50.4 13.3 26
2010 641 49.8 12.8 31
2011 558 47.2 11.7 34.6
2012 547 42.9 12.7 31.8
2013 532 42.8 12.4 33.6
2014 504 40.1 12.5 33.1
2015 488 39.0 12.5 36.7
2016 489 44.0 11.1 n/a
2017 486 42.2 11.4 n/a
2018 713 62.0 11.4 n/a
2019 679 61.2 11.0 n/a
2020 662 63.8 10.3 n/a
2021 600 60.2 9.9 n/a
2022 565 61.7 9.1 n/a
2023 535 60.2 8.8 n/a

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 Palmer High

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 414 n/a n/a n/a
1989 380 n/a n/a n/a
1990 390 n/a n/a n/a
1991 402 n/a n/a n/a
1992 391 n/a n/a n/a
1993 576 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 638 n/a n/a n/a
1995 641 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 641 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 678 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 725 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 732 n/a 0.0 16.5
2000 805 n/a 0.0 14.8
2001 787 n/a 0.0 12.5
2002 741 n/a n/a 14.2
2003 741 n/a n/a 14.2
2004 698 60.3 11.6 0
2005 679 61.0 11.1 10
2006 689 62.6 11.0 33.5
2007 682 53.0 12.9 34
2008 673 49.0 13.7 21.2
2009 669 50.4 13.3 26
2010 641 49.8 12.8 31
2011 558 47.2 11.7 34.6
2012 547 42.9 12.7 31.8
2013 532 42.8 12.4 33.6
2014 504 40.1 12.5 33.1
2015 488 39.0 12.5 36.7
2016 489 44.0 11.1 n/a
2017 486 42.2 11.4 n/a
2018 713 62.0 11.4 n/a
2019 679 61.2 11.0 n/a
2020 662 63.8 10.3 n/a
2021 600 60.2 9.9 n/a
2022 565 61.7 9.1 n/a
2023 535 60.2 8.8 n/a

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Palmer High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $217 (1.3%) $16,064 (98.7%) $16,281
2020 $303 (1.9%) $16,004 (98.1%) $16,308
2021 $510 (2.9%) $17,022 (97.1%) $17,532

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Palmer High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 343rd of 498 Middle schoolsRanks 305th of 501 Middle schools
 8%
Ranks 213th of 351 High schoolsRanks 195th of 347 High schools
 4.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer High)4331.9
 11.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer)4031.6
 8.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5442.3
 11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Palmer High)4836.3
 11.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Palmer)4635.8
 10.2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5141
 10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer High)4933.3
 15.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer)4631.9
 14.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)4840.5
 7.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Palmer High)3722.4
 14.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Palmer)3522.5
 12.5%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4838.1
 9.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer High)3038.4
 8.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer)2837.9
 9.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5143.7
 7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Palmer High)2319.8
 3.2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Palmer)2119.3
 1.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4737.7
 9.3%
8th Grade Science (Palmer High)2529.9
 4.9%
   8th Grade Science (Palmer)2230.3
 8.3%
   8th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4640.9
 5.1%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer High)5346.2
 6.8%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer)5044.1
 5.9%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)6158.2
 2.8%
10th Grade Mathematics (Palmer High)5350
 3%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Palmer)4848.5
 0.5%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5849.7
 8.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Palmer High)4134.5
 6.5%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Palmer)3832.4
 5.6%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Palmer High)3626.6
 9.4%
   All Grades Mathematics (Palmer)2828.1
 0%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Palmer High)2529.9
 4.9%
   All Grades Science (Palmer)2935.4
 6.4%
   All Grades Science (Massachusetts)4741.2
 5.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students679535
 21.2%
African American2211
 50%
American Indian01
Asian1516
 6.7%
Hispanic63100
 58.7%
Pacific Islander00
White551378
 31.4%
Two or More Races2827
 3.6%


Schools Near Palmer High









Frequently Asked Questions about Palmer High

In the 2022-23 school year, 535 students attended Palmer High.

Palmer High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Old Mill Pond

Palmer High ranks in the bottom 13.2% of Massachusetts high schools.

Students at Palmer High are 71% White, 19% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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