Highlands SD
Public school district · Allegheny County · Pennsylvania · NCES district ID 4211880
Highlands SD spent $17,428 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 53% of the other Pennsylvania districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $17,594). Its 4 schools enrolled 2,004 students in 2024-25; 48.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,508 per student, up 11.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 80-84% (Pennsylvania: 87.5%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Pennsylvania districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Highlands SD in enrollment (2,171 to 2,263 students) and Highlands SD itself.
Where the money came from
$51,624,000 in revenue: 48.3% state, 44.9% local and 6.8% federal. Total spending including $997,000 of capital outlay was $45,810,000, or $20,654 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$24,932,000 48%
- Local$23,178,000 45%
- Federal$3,514,000 7%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 418 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
2,185 students in 2022-23, 2,088 students in 2023-24, 2,004 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,185 | 156.0 | 14.0 |
| 2023-24 | 2,088 | 159.9 | 13.1 |
| 2024-25 | 2,004 | 162.7 | 12.3 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$13,745,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,197 per student
Highlands SD booked $13,745,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 156 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $88,109 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 69 in 100 Pennsylvania districts with a figure (state median $81,309, 647 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Pennsylvania teacher salary at $72,248 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $10,389,000 | 75.6% |
| Special education | $2,922,000 | 21.3% |
| Vocational | $2,000 | 0.0% |
| Other programs | $432,000 | 3.1% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,797 in 2018-19, $5,805 in 2019-20, $5,915 in 2020-21, $5,959 in 2021-22, $6,197 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Highlands SD scored proficient or above: 41-45% in reading and 25-29% in math, against 54% in reading and 34% in math across Pennsylvania. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Pennsylvania, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Pennsylvania | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 41-45% | 54% | 925 |
| Math | 25-29% | 34% | 928 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
80-84% of the 169 students in Highlands SD's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Pennsylvania. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 80‑84% | 87.5% |
| Students in the class | 169 | 136,045 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
2 elementary schools, 764 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands Elementary School | 559 | 12.9 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Highlands Early Childhood Center | 205 | 14.9 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 575 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands Middle School | 575 | 9.7 | 100.0% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 665 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands SHS | 665 | 14.4 | 90.3% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Highlands SD
- Website: goldenrams.com
- Phone: (724) 226-2400
- Office: 1500 Pacific Avenue, Natrona Heights, PA 15065
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Highlands SD
- Pennsylvania districts by spending per studentHighlands SD ranks 221 of 418 Pennsylvania districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,428).#221 of 418
- Every school district in PennsylvaniaHighlands SD is the number 225 by size of 775 Pennsylvania districts, with 2,218 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#225 of 775
- Eastern York SDThe next larger Pennsylvania district: 2,251 students in fall 2022, $17,836 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,836
- Shamokin Area SDThe next smaller Pennsylvania district: 2,213 students in fall 2022, $15,988 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,988
- Compare Highlands SD with Eastern York SDEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Highlands SHS, its largest high school665 students in 2024-25, 14.4 per teacher.665
- Teacher salary spending across PennsylvaniaHighlands SD spent $88,109 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $81,309); spending, not a salary.$88,109
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Highlands SD
How many schools and students are in Highlands SD?
4 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 2,004 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Highlands SD spend per student?
$17,428 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Pennsylvania median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $17,594 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,508 per student, up 11.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Highlands SD's money come from?
$51,624,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 48.3% state, 44.9% local and 6.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Highlands SD live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 540 of the 2,664 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 20.3%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Highlands SD spend on teacher salaries?
$13,745,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,197 per student. Divided by the 156 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $88,109 per teacher, more than 69 in 100 Pennsylvania districts (state median $81,309). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Pennsylvania teacher salary at $72,248 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Highlands SD do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Highlands SD scored proficient or above: 41-45% in reading and 25-29% in math, against 54% in reading and 34% in math across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Highlands SD?
80-84% of the 169 students in Highlands SD's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Pennsylvania. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Highlands SD's NCES district ID?
4211880. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25