Enrollment
661
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Burlington, NC
Highland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370003002838
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #6 of 15
- public schools in Burlington · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 44.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #6 of 15 public schools in Burlington, NC.
School address
District: Alamance-Burlington Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370003002838 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Elementary
Highland Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Burlington, North Carolina, enrolling 661 students.
At 15.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina 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 44.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 661 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 473 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #362, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (33%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 661 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Burlington's elementary schools, it stands alongside Edwin M Holt Elementary (505 students): Highland Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.4:1 vs 14:1).
Alamance-Burlington Schools also operates Walter M Williams High (1,206 students) and Southern Alamance High (1,148 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 North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.9% | ▼ 32% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 661 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
661
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 55% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.4%
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
$12,211
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 661 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 33.3%
African American 32.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.2%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 33.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.7, Highland Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alamance-Burlington Schools, which includes Highland Elementary.
$12,211
Per student
+2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.4%
State 58.2%
Federal 23.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter M Williams High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Alamance High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Alamance High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastern Alamance High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hawfields 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
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary schools in Burlington
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~661 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alamance-Burlington Schools'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 661 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Burlington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 2% 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?
44.9% of students at Highland Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Highland Elementary is White at 33.3% of enrollment, in Burlington, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 public schools in Burlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #6 of 15 public schools in Burlington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Burlington on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary a good school?
Highland Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina 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 Alamance-Burlington Schools?
Besides Highland Elementary, Alamance-Burlington Schools also operates Walter M Williams High (1,206 students), Southern Alamance High (1,148 students), and Western Alamance High (1,138 students). See the Alamance-Burlington Schools 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.