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Cowiche, Washington - 4 schools
An equity score of 55/100 ranks Highland School District #96 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,923 per pupil, Highland School District ranks #222 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,094
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$15,923
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Highland School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,094 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary 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 Yakima County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,923 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending. See how Washington compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 13.9% local, 68.7% state, and 17.4% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 55/100, ranked #96 of 238 in Washington against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 310.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 20.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% White, 0.4% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary, with a diversity index of 40.5/100.
Its largest campus is Highland High School, enrolling 366 students (35% of the district's total enrollment).
Highland High School accounts for 33.5% of all Highland School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Highland School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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 School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 75.7% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Highland School District student-counselor ratio is 310:1 — 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 School District is typically wider than the Highland School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Highland School District chronic absenteeism rate is 20.3% — 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 School District is typically wider than the Highland School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Highland School District has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,094 students.
How much does Highland School District spend per student?
Highland School District spends $15,923 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #96 in Washington.
What is the demographic composition of Highland School District?
Highland School District students are 76.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% White, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Highland School District?
Highland School District has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #96 out of 238 districts in Washington.