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records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our
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Riverside, Iowa - 3 schools
An equity score of 50/100 ranks Highland Comm School District #164 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,824 per pupil, Highland Comm School District ranks #129 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
565
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$12,824
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Highland Comm School District operates 3 public schools serving 565 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Washington County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,824 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 49.1% local, 43.5% state, and 7.5% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 50/100, ranked #164 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 194.1:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 20.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.1% White, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Highland High School, with a diversity index of 24.9/100.
Its largest campus is Highland Elementary School, enrolling 242 students (47% of the district's total enrollment).
Highland Elementary School accounts for 42.8% of all Highland Comm School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Highland Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Highland Comm School District school enrollment varies 2.0× across entities
Highland Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 119 students (lowest) to 242 students (highest), a spread of 123 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Highland Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 194:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Highland Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 20.1% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Highland Comm School District is typically wider than the Highland Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Highland Comm School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Iowa
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Highland Comm School District?
Highland Comm School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 565 students.
How much does Highland Comm School District spend per student?
Highland Comm School District spends $12,824 per student. The district has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #164 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Highland Comm School District?
Highland Comm School District students are 90.1% White, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Highland Comm School District?
Highland Comm School District has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #164 out of 303 districts in Iowa.