Enrollment
451
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rifle, CO
Highland Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080624001967
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Rifle · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.7:1
- students per teacher
- 45.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Rifle, CO.
School address
District: Garfield School District No. Re-2 · Colorado
NCES ID 080624001967 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Elementary School
Highland Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Rifle, Colorado, enrolling 451 students.
At 16.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 45.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 451 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 297 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #272, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and White (27%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 451 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Garfield School District No. Re-2 spends $12,122 per pupil, 26% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Garfield School District No. Re-2 also operates Rifle High School (778 students) and Coal Ridge High School (578 students) alongside Highland Elementary School.
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 School compares
Highland Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.5% | ▲ 18% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 451 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
451
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 60% in Colorado - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.6%
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
$12,122
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
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 451 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 69.4%
White 27.3%
Two or More 2.2%
African American 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.3, Highland Elementary School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garfield School District No. Re-2, which includes Highland Elementary School.
$12,122
Per student
-26%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 55.9%
Federal 6.5%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coal Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rifle Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverside School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cactus Valley Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~451 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Garfield School District No. Re-2'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 School
How many students attend Highland Elementary School?
Highland Elementary School has 451 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rifle, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary School is 16.7:1, which is 1% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Elementary School?
45.5% of students at Highland Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 69.4% of enrollment, in Rifle, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary School?
Highland Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 School rank among schools in Rifle?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Rifle, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rifle on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary School a good school?
Highland Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado 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 Garfield School District No. Re-2?
Besides Highland Elementary School, Garfield School District No. Re-2 also operates Rifle High School (778 students), Coal Ridge High School (578 students), and Rifle Middle School (552 students). See the Garfield School District No. Re-2 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.