Enrollment
476
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hardy, AR
Highland High School
Federal NCES profile for Highland High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 050777000491
👥 S:T ratio 70
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Arkansas schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Hardy · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.4:1
- small classes for Arkansas
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland High School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hardy, AR.
School address
District: Highland School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050777000491 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland High School
Highland High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Hardy, Arkansas, enrolling 476 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.4:1, Highland High School is leaner than roughly 88% of Arkansas schools and 46% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 476 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #34.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 238 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 247 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 476 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 22 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Highland School District also operates Cherokee Elementary School (581 students) and Highland Middle School (442 students) alongside Highland High 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 High School compares
Highland High School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.4:1 | ▼ 46% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.4:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
476
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% above the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.4:1
students per teacher
- 46% below state mean
Top 12% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
37.6%
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
$12,909
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arkansas avg of $12,251
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 238 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
165
in-school suspensions + 82 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 34.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 51.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 22 expulsions.
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 91.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
Two or More 1.9%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.5, Highland High School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highland School District, which includes Highland High School.
$12,909
Per student
+5%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.9%
State 44.6%
Federal 29.6%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 581
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~476 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland High School's federal record.
- Compare Highland High School against another school. Compare schools
- Highland 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 High School
How many students attend Highland High School?
Highland High School has 476 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hardy, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland High School is 7.4:1, which is 46% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 53% 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 High School?
100.0% of students at Highland High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland High School?
The largest demographic group at Highland High School is White at 91.8% of enrollment, in Hardy, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland High School?
Highland High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highland High School rank among public schools in Hardy?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hardy, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hardy on the city page.
Is Highland High School a good school?
Highland High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Arkansas 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 School District?
Besides Highland High School, Highland School District also operates Cherokee Elementary School (581 students) and Highland Middle School (442 students). See the Highland 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.