Enrollment
377
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Richmond, CA
Highland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063255010022
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 21
- elementary schools in Richmond · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- students per teacher
- 54.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #1 of 21 elementary schools in Richmond, CA.
School address
District: West Contra Costa Unified · California
NCES ID 063255010022 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-1% 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 higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Richmond, California, enrolling 377 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 377 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,324 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #524.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and Asian (17%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Richmond's elementary schools, it stands alongside Aspire Richmond Technology Academy (586 students): Highland Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.8:1 vs 36.6:1).
West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students) and Richmond High (1,280 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 | 19.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.8% | ▼ 1% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 377 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
377
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 33% in California - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.9%
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
$17,537
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 63.1%
Asian 17.0%
African American 12.7%
Two or More 3.7%
White 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.5, 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 West Contra Costa Unified, which includes Highland Elementary.
$17,537
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richmond High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pinole Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| De Anza High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hercules High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher 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
- 1,460
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,280
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,245
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Richmond
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Aspire Richmond Technology Academy
Standard public school
586 students 36.6:1 students per teacher
Richmond College Preparatory
Standard public school
560 students 35:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
551 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Peres Elementary
Standard public school
538 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Mira Vista Elementary
Standard public school
510 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Richmond Charter Elementary-Benito Juarez
Standard public school
490 students 35:1 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 (~377 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- West Contra Costa 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 377 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Richmond, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 19.8:1, which is 8% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Elementary?
54.8% 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 Hispanic or Latino at 63.1% of enrollment, in Richmond, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highland Elementary rank among elementary schools in Richmond?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #1 of 21 elementary schools in Richmond, 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 Richmond on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary a good school?
Highland Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
Besides Highland Elementary, West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students), Richmond High (1,280 students), and Pinole Valley High (1,245 students). See the West Contra Costa 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.