Enrollment
438
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Visalia, CA
Highland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064116006795
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #11 of 31
- elementary schools in Visalia · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19:1
- small classes for California
- 92.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary has class sizes smaller than 73% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #11 of 31 elementary schools in Visalia, CA.
School address
District: Visalia Unified · California
NCES ID 064116006795 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+66% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Visalia, California, enrolling 438 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 92.2% of students qualify for free meals, 66% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 438 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,180 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #968, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 438 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Visalia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Riverway Elementary (857 students): Highland Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19:1 vs 27.6:1).
Visalia Unified also operates Redwood High (2,490 students) and Golden West High (2,059 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 | 19:1 | ▼ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.2% | ▲ 66% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
438
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 27% in California - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
52.5%
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
$14,150
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 438 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 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 89.7%
Two or More 5.9%
White 3.0%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.1, Highland Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Visalia Unified, which includes Highland Elementary.
$14,150
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 69.0%
Federal 12.9%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Golden West High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Diamante High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mt. Whitney High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridgeview Middle | 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
- 2,490
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 2,059
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,637
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 975
- Students per teacher
- 28.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in Visalia
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Riverway Elementary
Standard public school
857 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
Annie R. Mitchell
Standard public school
789 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Oak Grove Elementary
Standard public school
756 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Manuel F. Hernandez
Standard public school
707 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Four Creeks Elementary
Standard public school
654 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Denton Elementary
Standard public school
648 students 24.9:1 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 (~438 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Visalia 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 438 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Visalia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 19:1, which is 12% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 21% 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?
92.2% 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 89.7% of enrollment, in Visalia, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (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 Visalia?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #11 of 31 elementary schools in Visalia, 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 Visalia on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary a good school?
Highland Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Visalia Unified?
Besides Highland Elementary, Visalia Unified also operates Redwood High (2,490 students), Golden West High (2,059 students), and El Diamante High (1,890 students). See the Visalia 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.