Enrollment
242
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Riverside, IA
Highland Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191401000842
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Riverside · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 21.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Riverside, IA.
School address
District: Highland Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191401000842 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Elementary School
Highland Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Riverside, Iowa, enrolling 242 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 242 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 350 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #199.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 314 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Highland Comm School District also operates Highland High School (149 students) and Highland Middle School (119 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 Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.1:1 | ▼ 18% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.9% | ▼ 40% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 242 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
242
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 24% in Iowa - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$12,824
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 92.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 92.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.8, Highland Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highland Comm School District, which includes Highland Elementary School.
$12,824
Per student
0%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 43.5%
Federal 7.5%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highland Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher 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
- 149
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 119
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~242 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Highland Comm School District'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 242 students enrolled. It is a public school in Riverside, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary School is 12.1:1, which is 18% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 23% 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 School?
21.9% of students at Highland Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Elementary School is White at 92.1% of enrollment, in Riverside, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary School?
Highland Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 public schools in Riverside?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Riverside, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Riverside on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary School a good school?
Highland Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Iowa 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 Highland Comm School District?
Besides Highland Elementary School, Highland Comm School District also operates Highland High School (149 students) and Highland Middle School (119 students). See the Highland Comm School District 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.