Enrollment
662
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Apple Valley, MN
Highland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 273239002185
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Apple Valley · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 21.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Apple Valley, MN.
School address
District: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan · Minnesota
NCES ID 273239002185 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.2%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-50% 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 large elementary school in Apple Valley, Minnesota, enrolling 662 students.
At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 662 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 431 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #62.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 60/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan also operates Rosemount Senior High (2,364 students) and Eastview Senior High (2,328 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 15% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.2% | ▼ 50% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 662 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
662
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 41% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.9%
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
$14,314
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 59.2%
African American 15.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 59.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, 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 Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, which includes Highland Elementary.
$14,314
Per student
-6%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.5%
State 62.9%
Federal 8.5%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosemount Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastview Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eagan Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apple Valley Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Scott Highlands Middle | Larger | Similar 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
- 2,364
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,328
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,274
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,999
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,228
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary 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 (~662 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan'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 662 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Apple Valley, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 15% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 14% lower 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?
21.2% 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 White at 59.2% of enrollment, in Apple Valley, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Apple Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Apple Valley, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Apple Valley on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary a good school?
Highland Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota 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 Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan?
Besides Highland Elementary, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan also operates Rosemount Senior High (2,364 students), Eastview Senior High (2,328 students), and Eagan Senior High (2,274 students). See the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan 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.