Enrollment
1,091
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Glendale, AZ
Highland Lakes School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Lakes School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040775001873
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Lakes School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #35 of 46
- schools in Glendale · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17:1
- students per teacher
- 18.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Lakes School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Lakes School ranks #35 of 46 schools in Glendale, AZ.
School address
District: Deer Valley Unified District (4246) · Arizona
NCES ID 040775001873 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Lakes School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Lakes School
Highland Lakes School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Glendale, Arizona, enrolling 1,091 students.
At 17:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.0% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Arizona average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,091 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 169 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #84.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 546 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Deer Valley Unified District (4246) spends $9,561 per pupil, 27% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Glendale's public schools, it stands alongside Sandra Day O'connor High School (2,658 students): Highland Lakes School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17:1 vs 25.6:1).
Deer Valley Unified District (4246) also operates Mountain Ridge High School (2,823 students) and Sandra Day O'connor High School (2,658 students) alongside Highland Lakes 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 Lakes School compares
Highland Lakes School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17:1 | ▼ 0% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.0% | ▼ 63% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,091 | top 8% | - | - |
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.
1,091
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 54% in Arizona - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.4%
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
$9,561
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
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 546 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
100
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.3 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 62.1%
Hispanic or Latino 19.8%
Two or More 8.4%
Asian 4.8%
African American 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 62.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.4, Highland Lakes School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Deer Valley Unified District (4246), which includes Highland Lakes School.
$9,561
Per student
-27%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.9%
State 38.6%
Federal 12.6%
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 Lakes School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sandra Day O'connor High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boulder Creek High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Deer Valley High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Barry Goldwater High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Lakes School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,823
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,658
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 2,221
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,707
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,602
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Glendale
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,091 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Lakes School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Lakes School against another school. Compare schools
- Deer Valley Unified District (4246)'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 Lakes School
How many students attend Highland Lakes School?
Highland Lakes School has 1,091 students enrolled. It is a public school in Glendale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Lakes School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Lakes School is 17:1, which is 0% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Lakes School?
18.0% of students at Highland Lakes School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Lakes School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Lakes School is White at 62.1% of enrollment, in Glendale, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Lakes School?
Highland Lakes School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Lakes School rank among schools in Glendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Lakes School ranks #35 of 46 schools in Glendale, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Glendale on the city page.
Is Highland Lakes School a good school?
Highland Lakes School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Deer Valley Unified District (4246)?
Besides Highland Lakes School, Deer Valley Unified District (4246) also operates Mountain Ridge High School (2,823 students), Sandra Day O'connor High School (2,658 students), and Boulder Creek High School (2,221 students). See the Deer Valley Unified District (4246) 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.