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Marengo, Ohio - 3 schools
An equity score of 37/100 ranks Highland Local #553 of 806 districts in Ohio (state average 46). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,865 per pupil, Highland Local ranks #775 of 966 Ohio districts by per-pupil spending (Ohio districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,718
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$11,865
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Highland Local operates 3 public schools serving 1,718 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Ohio. 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 Morrow County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,865 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 966 Ohio districts by per-pupil spending. See how Ohio compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 36.9% local, 47.9% state, and 15.2% 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 37/100, ranked #553 of 806 in Ohio against a state average of 46, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 311.5:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 32.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.9% White, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Highland Elementary School, with a diversity index of 14.1/100.
Its largest campus is Highland Elementary School, enrolling 836 students (49% of the district's total enrollment).
Highland Elementary School accounts for 48.7% of all Highland Local student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Highland Local a distant remainder — means Highland Local-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 Local school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities
Highland Local school enrollment ranges from 389 students (lowest) to 836 students (highest), a spread of 447 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 Local student-counselor ratio is 312:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Highland Local is typically wider than the Highland Local-aggregate figure suggests.
Highland Local chronic absenteeism rate is 32.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Highland Local has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,718 students.
How much does Highland Local spend per student?
Highland Local spends $11,865 per student. The district has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #553 in Ohio.
What is the demographic composition of Highland Local?
Highland Local students are 93.9% White, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Highland Local?
Highland Local has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #553 out of 806 districts in Ohio.