Enrollment
299
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ault, CO
Highland High School
Federal NCES profile for Highland High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080231000050
👥 S:T ratio 46
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Colorado schools.
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 25.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 299
- students enrolled
Highland High School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Weld County School District No. Re-9 · Colorado
NCES ID 080231000050 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland High School
Highland High School is a mid-sized high school in Ault, Colorado, enrolling 299 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 299 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 292 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #230, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 299 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Weld County School District No. Re-9 spends $10,570 per pupil, 35% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Weld County School District No. Re-9 also operates Highland Elementary School (443 students) and Highland Middle School (234 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 Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 18% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.6% | ▼ 34% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 299 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
299
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 28% in Colorado - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.2%
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
$10,570
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 299 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 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 61.2%
Hispanic or Latino 33.4%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 61.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.2, Highland High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Weld County School District No. Re-9, which includes Highland High School.
$10,570
Per student
-35%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.4%
State 28.4%
Federal 9.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 234
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high 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 (~299 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland High School's federal record.
- Compare Highland High School against another school. Compare schools
- Weld County School District No. Re-9'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 299 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ault, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland High School is 13.6:1, which is 18% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 13% 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?
25.6% of students at Highland High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland High School?
The largest demographic group at Highland High School is White at 61.2% of enrollment, in Ault, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland High School?
Highland High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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).
Is Highland High School a good school?
Highland High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Colorado 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 Weld County School District No. Re-9?
Besides Highland High School, Weld County School District No. Re-9 also operates Highland Elementary School (443 students) and Highland Middle School (234 students). See the Weld County School District No. Re-9 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.