Enrollment
534
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia Heights, MN
Highland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270951000398
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 5
- schools in Columbia Heights · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 68.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #2 of 5 schools in Columbia Heights, MN.
School address
District: Columbia Heights Public School Dist · Minnesota
NCES ID 270951000398 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.2%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Elementary
Highland Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, enrolling 534 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 534 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 146 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #67.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Columbia Heights Public School Dist also operates Columbia Heights Senior High (1,141 students) and Columbia Academy (719 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 Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.2% | ▲ 59% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 534 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
534
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 70% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.0%
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
$15,723
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 51.1%
African American 23.0%
White 15.4%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, Highland Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia Heights Public School Dist, which includes Highland Elementary.
$15,723
Per student
+3%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 63.6%
Federal 15.5%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Heights Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley View Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Park School for Innovation | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower 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
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~534 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia Heights Public School Dist'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 534 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia Heights, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 17.2:1, which is 9% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Elementary?
68.2% of students at Highland Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Highland Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 51.1% of enrollment, in Columbia Heights, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 schools in Columbia Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #2 of 5 schools in Columbia Heights, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia Heights on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary a good school?
Highland Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota 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 Columbia Heights Public School Dist?
Besides Highland Elementary, Columbia Heights Public School Dist also operates Columbia Heights Senior High (1,141 students), Columbia Academy (719 students), and Valley View Elementary (568 students). See the Columbia Heights Public School Dist district page for the complete list.
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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.