Enrollment
468
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Montgomery, AL
Highland Gardens Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Gardens Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010243001022
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Gardens Elementary School earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Alabama schools.
- #27 of 28
- schools in Montgomery · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 91.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Gardens Elementary School has class sizes larger than 92% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Gardens Elementary School ranks #27 of 28 schools in Montgomery, AL.
School address
District: Montgomery County · Alabama
NCES ID 010243001022 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Gardens Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Gardens Elementary School
Highland Gardens Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Montgomery, Alabama, enrolling 468 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.3:1 is larger than about 92% of Alabama schools and 20% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 91.9% of students qualify for free meals, 56% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 468 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 162 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #160, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 468 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Montgomery's public schools, it stands alongside Dalraida Elementary School (711 students): Highland Gardens Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.3:1 vs 20.9:1).
Montgomery County also operates Jefferson Davis High School (1,587 students) and Carver Senior High School (1,553 students) alongside Highland Gardens 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 Gardens Elementary School compares
Highland Gardens Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.3:1 | ▲ 20% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.9% | ▲ 56% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 468 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
468
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
91.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 92% in Alabama - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
46.8%
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
$11,430
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 468 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 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
African American 61.5%
Hispanic or Latino 32.3%
White 3.2%
Two or More 3.0%
Largest group: African American at 61.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, Highland Gardens Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County, which includes Highland Gardens Elementary School.
$11,430
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.1%
State 55.2%
Federal 25.7%
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 Gardens Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Davis High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carver Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Park Crossing High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brewbaker Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Gardens Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,587
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,553
- Students per teacher
- 32.4:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,282
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 882
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Montgomery
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Dalraida Elementary School
Standard public school
711 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Halcyon Elementary School
Standard public school
694 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Brewbaker Primary School
Standard public school
651 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Garrett Elementary School
Standard public school
592 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Dannelly Elementary School
Standard public school
588 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Crump Elementary School
Standard public school
575 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~468 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Gardens Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Gardens Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery County'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 Gardens Elementary School
How many students attend Highland Gardens Elementary School?
Highland Gardens Elementary School has 468 students enrolled. It is a public school in Montgomery, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Gardens Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Gardens Elementary School is 21.3:1, which is 20% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Gardens Elementary School?
91.9% of students at Highland Gardens Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Gardens Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Gardens Elementary School is African American at 61.5% of enrollment, in Montgomery, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Gardens Elementary School?
Highland Gardens Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (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 Gardens Elementary School rank among schools in Montgomery?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Gardens Elementary School ranks #27 of 28 schools in Montgomery, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Montgomery on the city page.
Is Highland Gardens Elementary School a good school?
Highland Gardens Elementary School earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Alabama 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 Montgomery County?
Besides Highland Gardens Elementary School, Montgomery County also operates Jefferson Davis High School (1,587 students), Carver Senior High School (1,553 students), and Lee High School (1,282 students). See the Montgomery County 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.