Enrollment
778
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Highland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063789006389
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #90 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21:1
- students per teacher
- 71.9%
- 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 #90 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Standard Elementary · California
NCES ID 063789006389 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+30% 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 Bakersfield, California, enrolling 778 students.
At 21:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 778 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,647 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,304, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (46%) (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bakersfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students): Highland Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21:1 vs 25.6:1).
Standard Elementary also operates Standard Middle (1,005 students) and Wingland Elementary (783 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 | 21:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.9% | ▲ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 778 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
778
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 43% in California - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
50.8%
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
$15,846
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 46.8%
Hispanic or Latino 45.8%
African American 3.2%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 46.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Highland Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Standard Elementary, which includes Highland Elementary.
$15,846
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 62.2%
Federal 19.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wingland Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Standard Elementary | Similar size | Higher 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
- 1,005
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8
Standard public school
1,151 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Veterans Elementary
Standard public school
1,002 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Douglas J. Miller Elementary
Standard public school
994 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Standard public school
960 students 24:1 students per teacher
Berkshire Elementary
Standard public school
932 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Patriot Elementary
Standard public school
931 students 23.3:1 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 (~778 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Standard Elementary'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 778 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 21:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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?
71.9% 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 46.8% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (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 Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #90 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary a good school?
Highland Elementary earns 15/100 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 Standard Elementary?
Besides Highland Elementary, Standard Elementary also operates Standard Middle (1,005 students), Wingland Elementary (783 students), and Standard Elementary (627 students). See the Standard Elementary 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.