Enrollment
441
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Needham, MA
High Rock School
Federal NCES profile for High Rock School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 250837002690
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
High Rock School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median.
- #1 of 8
- public schools in Needham · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 441
- students enrolled
High Rock School has class sizes near the Massachusetts median. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, High Rock School ranks #1 of 8 public schools in Needham, MA.
School address
District: Needham · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250837002690 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How High Rock School compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at High Rock School
High Rock School is a mid-sized middle school in Needham, Massachusetts, enrolling 441 students.
At 12.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Massachusetts median, within a few percentage points of the 12.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
With 441 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,831 Massachusetts schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Asian (12%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 163 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Needham's middle schools, it stands alongside Pollard Middle (867 students): High Rock School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.3:1 vs 11.7:1).
Needham also operates Needham High (1,633 students) and Pollard Middle (867 students) alongside High Rock School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How High Rock School compares
High Rock School on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▼ 0% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 441 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
441
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 57% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$23,810
per pupil, district-wide
- above Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.7 FTE
Per 163 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 69.9%
Asian 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 69.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, High Rock School is about as mixed as the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Needham, which includes High Rock School.
$23,810
Per student
+6%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.6%
State 20.3%
Federal 4.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How High Rock School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needham High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pollard Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Newman Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunita L. Williams Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Broadmeadow | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to High Rock School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,633
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 696
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 533
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar middle schools in Needham
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~441 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on High Rock School's federal record.
- Compare High Rock School against another school. Compare schools
- Needham's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about High Rock School
How many students attend High Rock School?
High Rock School has 441 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Needham, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at High Rock School?
The student-teacher ratio at High Rock School is 12.3:1, which is 0% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of High Rock School?
The largest demographic group at High Rock School is White at 69.9% of enrollment, in Needham, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for High Rock School?
High Rock School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does High Rock School rank among public schools in Needham?
By Resource Investment Index, High Rock School ranks #1 of 8 public schools in Needham, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Needham on the city page.
Is High Rock School a good school?
High Rock School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Needham?
Besides High Rock School, Needham also operates Needham High (1,633 students), Pollard Middle (867 students), and Newman Elementary (696 students). See the Needham district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.