Enrollment
381
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Stillman Valley, IL
Highland Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 172569002779
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elem School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Illinois schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Stillman Valley · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 381
- students enrolled
Highland Elem School has class sizes larger than 79% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elem School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Stillman Valley, IL.
School address
District: Meridian Cusd 223 · Illinois
NCES ID 172569002779 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Elem School
Highland Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Stillman Valley, Illinois, enrolling 381 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 381 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Meridian Cusd 223 also operates Stillman Valley High School (433 students) and Meridian Jr High School (328 students) alongside Highland Elem 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 Highland Elem School compares
Highland Elem School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 14% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 381 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
381
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 79% in Illinois - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.9%
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
$15,722
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 381 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 80.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.9%
Two or More 5.2%
African American 1.6%
Largest group: White at 80.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.6, Highland Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meridian Cusd 223, which includes Highland Elem School.
$15,722
Per student
-8%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.0%
State 45.1%
Federal 7.9%
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 Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stillman Valley High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Meridian Jr High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monroe Center Grade School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 327
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~381 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Meridian Cusd 223'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 Elem School
How many students attend Highland Elem School?
Highland Elem School has 381 students enrolled. It is a public school in Stillman Valley, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elem School is 15.9:1, which is 14% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Elem School is White at 80.3% of enrollment, in Stillman Valley, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elem School?
Highland Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Elem School rank among public schools in Stillman Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elem School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Stillman Valley, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Stillman Valley on the city page.
Is Highland Elem School a good school?
Highland Elem School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Illinois schools. 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 Meridian Cusd 223?
Besides Highland Elem School, Meridian Cusd 223 also operates Stillman Valley High School (433 students), Meridian Jr High School (328 students), and Monroe Center Grade School (327 students). See the Meridian Cusd 223 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.