Enrollment
441
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Houston, TX
Highland Hts El
Federal NCES profile for Highland Hts El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 482364002489
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Hts El earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Texas schools.
- #386 of 435
- schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17:1
- large classes for Texas
- 96.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Hts El has class sizes larger than 80% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Hts El ranks #386 of 435 schools in Houston, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Hts El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Hts El
Highland Hts El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Houston, Texas, enrolling 441 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 96.4% of students qualify for free meals, 56% above the Texas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 441 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,366 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,199, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and African American (46%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 441 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Houston Isd also operates Texas Connections Academy at Houston (8,641 students) and Bellaire H S (3,216 students) alongside Highland Hts El.
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 Hts El compares
Highland Hts El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17:1 | ▲ 16% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.4% | ▲ 56% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 441 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
441
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% above the Texas average of 61.9%
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
17:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 80% in Texas - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
57.6%
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
$12,031
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
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 441 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Hispanic or Latino 51.2%
African American 46.3%
Two or More 1.1%
White 0.7%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.3, Highland Hts El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Houston Isd, which includes Highland Hts El.
$12,031
Per student
-12%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.8%
State 8.0%
Federal 23.2%
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 Hts El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Connections Academy at Houston | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bellaire H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lamar H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westside H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heights H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Hts El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 8,641
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 3,216
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,968
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,729
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,426
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~441 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Hts El's federal record.
- Compare Highland Hts El against another school. Compare schools
- Houston Isd'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 Hts El
How many students attend Highland Hts El?
Highland Hts El has 441 students enrolled. It is a public school in Houston, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Hts El?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Hts El is 17:1, which is 16% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Hts El?
96.4% of students at Highland Hts El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Hts El?
The largest demographic group at Highland Hts El is Hispanic or Latino at 51.2% of enrollment, in Houston, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Hts El?
Highland Hts El has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Hts El rank among schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Hts El ranks #386 of 435 schools in Houston, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Houston on the city page.
Is Highland Hts El a good school?
Highland Hts El earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Texas 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 Houston Isd?
Besides Highland Hts El, Houston Isd also operates Texas Connections Academy at Houston (8,641 students), Bellaire H S (3,216 students), and Lamar H S (2,968 students). See the Houston Isd 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.