Enrollment
573
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Norco, CA
Highland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060985001054
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Norco · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.9:1
- large classes for California
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Norco, CA.
School address
District: Corona-Norco Unified · California
NCES ID 060985001054 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Elementary
Highland Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Norco, California, enrolling 573 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 573 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,375 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #940.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (42%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 573 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Norco's elementary schools, it stands alongside George Washington Elementary (861 students): Highland Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.9:1 vs 23.3:1).
Corona-Norco Unified also operates Eleanor Roosevelt High (4,353 students) and Santiago High (3,577 students) alongside Highland Elementary.
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 Elementary compares
Highland Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.9:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▼ 38% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 573 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.9:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
573
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
29.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,711
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 573 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 47.8%
Hispanic or Latino 41.7%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 3.3%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 47.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, Highland Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Corona-Norco Unified, which includes Highland Elementary.
$13,711
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.7%
State 61.1%
Federal 12.2%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eleanor Roosevelt High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santiago High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Corona High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Norco High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,353
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 3,577
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,712
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,307
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,032
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in Norco
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
George Washington Elementary
Standard public school
861 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Norco Elementary
Standard public school
609 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Sierra Vista Elementary
Standard public school
395 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Riverview Elementary
Standard public school
327 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~573 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Corona-Norco Unified'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 Elementary
How many students attend Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has 573 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Norco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 23.9:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Elementary?
34.6% of students at Highland Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Highland Elementary is White at 47.8% of enrollment, in Norco, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Norco?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Norco, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Norco on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary a good school?
Highland Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California 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 Corona-Norco Unified?
Besides Highland Elementary, Corona-Norco Unified also operates Eleanor Roosevelt High (4,353 students), Santiago High (3,577 students), and Centennial High (2,712 students). See the Corona-Norco Unified 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.