Enrollment
557
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake Stevens, WA
Highland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530420002756
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #3 of 7
- schools in Lake Stevens · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 19.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #3 of 7 schools in Lake Stevens, WA.
School address
District: Lake Stevens School District · Washington
NCES ID 530420002756 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Elementary
Highland Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lake Stevens, Washington, enrolling 557 students.
At 15.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 19.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 557 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 441 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #294.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 557 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Lake Stevens School District spends $15,248 per pupil, 22% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Lake Stevens's public schools, it stands alongside Cavelero Mid High School (1,490 students): Highland Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 20.4:1).
Lake Stevens School District also operates Lake Stevens Sr High School (2,205 students) and Cavelero Mid High School (1,490 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 Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.2% | ▼ 57% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 557 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
557
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 45% in Washington - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,248
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 557 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 67.5%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 8.1%
African American 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.5, Highland Elementary is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Stevens School District, which includes Highland Elementary.
$15,248
Per student
-22%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 72.2%
Federal 6.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Stevens Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cavelero Mid High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Lake Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Stevens Middle School | 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
- 2,205
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,490
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 856
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 842
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 709
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Lake Stevens
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cavelero Mid High School
Standard public school
1,490 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest Elementary School
Standard public school
842 students 20:1 students per teacher
Sunnycrest Elementary School
Standard public school
695 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Skyline Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Early Learning Center
Standard public school
259 students 51.8:1 students per teacher
Homelink
Alternative education program
31 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~557 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highland Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Stevens 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
How many students attend Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has 557 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lake Stevens, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 15.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 1% higher 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?
19.2% of students at Highland Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Highland Elementary is White at 67.5% of enrollment, in Lake Stevens, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Elementary?
Highland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 schools in Lake Stevens?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Elementary ranks #3 of 7 schools in Lake Stevens, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lake Stevens on the city page.
Is Highland Elementary a good school?
Highland Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington 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 Lake Stevens School District?
Besides Highland Elementary, Lake Stevens School District also operates Lake Stevens Sr High School (2,205 students), Cavelero Mid High School (1,490 students), and North Lake Middle School (856 students). See the Lake Stevens 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.