Public schools in Palo Alto, CA
17 open public schools with an address in Palo Alto, operated by 1 education agency. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
17
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
9,360
17 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
18.8:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Palo Alto public schools
The federal directory lists 17 public schools in Palo Alto, CA: 11 elementary, 3 middle, 2 high, 1 combined or other. The 17 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 9,360 students, an average of 551 per school. The largest campus is Palo Alto High (1,891 students), and the largest elementary school is Ohlone Elementary (464).
Every listed school belongs to Palo Alto Unified. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 18.8:1, lower than the statewide school median of 21.6:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 3 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 13% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Palo Alto
Elementary schools in Palo Alto
11| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addison Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 366 | 19.6:1 | |
| Barron Park Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 278 | 18.3:1 | |
| Duveneck Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 376 | 21.3:1 | |
| El Carmelo Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 282 | 19.3:1 | |
| Fairmeadow Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 425 | 19.9:1 | |
| Greendell Palo Alto Unified | KG–KG | 26 | 13:1 | |
| Herbert Hoover Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 389 | 19.5:1 | |
| Juana Briones Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 260 | 19.5:1 | |
| Ohlone Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 464 | 21.9:1 | |
| Palo Verde Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 334 | 18.8:1 | |
| Walter Hays Elementary Palo Alto Unified | KG–05 | 305 | 20.5:1 |
Middle schools in Palo Alto
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Fletcher Middle Palo Alto Unified | 06–08 | 572 | 14:1 | |
| Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle Palo Alto Unified | 06–08 | 732 | 14.6:1 | |
| Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle Palo Alto Unified | 06–08 | 1,002 | 14.9:1 |
High schools in Palo Alto
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry M. Gunn High Palo Alto Unified | 09–12 | 1,643 | 16.5:1 | |
| Palo Alto High Palo Alto Unified | 09–12 | 1,891 | 16.8:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Palo Alto
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packard Children's Hospital/Stanford Palo Alto Unified | KG–12 | 15 | 5:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White26.7%
- Hispanic15.5%
- Black1.5%
- Asian44.1%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander1%
- Multiracial11.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 17 Palo Alto schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (9,360 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Palo Alto
How many public schools are in Palo Alto, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 17 open public schools with a location address in Palo Alto: 11 elementary, 3 middle, 2 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 9,360 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Palo Alto?
All listed public schools with an address in Palo Alto belong to Palo Alto Unified. Mailing cities do not always match district boundaries, so confirm the district for a specific home address.
What is the largest public high school in Palo Alto?
Palo Alto High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Palo Alto, with 1,891 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Palo Alto?
No school with an address in Palo Alto is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in California.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Palo Alto schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Palo Alto public schools is 18.8:1, lower than the California school median of 21.6:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Palo Alto guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby California cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All California cities