Enrollment
438
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ephrata, PA
Highland El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Highland El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420927002570
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland El Sch earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Ephrata · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 45.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland El Sch ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Ephrata, PA.
School address
District: Ephrata Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420927002570 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland El Sch
Highland El Sch is a mid-sized elementary school in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, enrolling 438 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 45.7% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 438 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 619 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #283.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 438 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Ephrata's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ephrata Intermediate Sch (568 students): Highland El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.1:1 vs 13.9:1).
Ephrata Area Sd also operates Ephrata Shs (1,347 students) and Ephrata Ms (601 students) alongside Highland El Sch.
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 Highland El Sch compares
Highland El Sch on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▼ 21% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
438
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 64% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,676
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 438 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 78.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 1.6%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 78.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.4, Highland El Sch is about as mixed as the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ephrata Area Sd, which includes Highland El Sch.
$16,676
Per student
-7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.7%
State 29.0%
Federal 7.2%
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 Highland El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephrata Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ephrata Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ephrata Intermediate Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clay El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fulton El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,347
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar elementary schools in Ephrata
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~438 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Highland El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Ephrata Area Sd'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 Highland El Sch
How many students attend Highland El Sch?
Highland El Sch has 438 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ephrata, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland El Sch is 14.1:1, which is 4% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland El Sch?
45.7% of students at Highland El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Highland El Sch is White at 78.3% of enrollment, in Ephrata, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland El Sch?
Highland El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Highland El Sch rank among elementary schools in Ephrata?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland El Sch ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Ephrata, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Ephrata on the city page.
Is Highland El Sch a good school?
Highland El Sch earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania 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 Ephrata Area Sd?
Besides Highland El Sch, Ephrata Area Sd also operates Ephrata Shs (1,347 students), Ephrata Ms (601 students), and Ephrata Intermediate Sch (568 students). See the Ephrata Area Sd 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.