Enrollment
243
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cowiche, WA
Highland Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530351003148
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Junior High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Washington schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Cowiche · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.1:1
- large classes for Washington
- 78.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Junior High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Junior High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Cowiche, WA.
School address
District: Highland School District · Washington
NCES ID 530351003148 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Junior High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Junior High School
Highland Junior High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Cowiche, Washington, enrolling 243 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.1:1 is larger than about 88% of Washington schools and 26% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 78.0% of students qualify for free meals, 73% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 243 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 139 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #61.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and White (21%) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 243 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Highland School District also operates Highland High School (366 students) and Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary (249 students) alongside Highland Junior 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 Junior High School compares
Highland Junior High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.1:1 | ▲ 26% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.0% | ▲ 73% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 243 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
243
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% above the Washington average of 45.0%
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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 88% in Washington - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
14.4%
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
$15,923
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 243 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 79.0%
White 20.6%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.3, Highland Junior High School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highland School District, which includes Highland Junior High School.
$15,923
Per student
-18%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.9%
State 68.7%
Federal 17.4%
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 Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tieton Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 249
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 202
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle 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 (~243 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Junior 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 Junior High School
How many students attend Highland Junior High School?
Highland Junior High School has 243 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cowiche, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Junior High School is 22.1:1, which is 26% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Junior High School?
78.0% of students at Highland Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Junior High School is Hispanic or Latino at 79.0% of enrollment, in Cowiche, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Junior High School?
Highland Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Junior High School rank among public schools in Cowiche?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Junior High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Cowiche, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cowiche on the city page.
Is Highland Junior High School a good school?
Highland Junior High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Washington 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 Junior High School, Highland School District also operates Highland High School (366 students), Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary (249 students), and Tieton Intermediate School (202 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.