Enrollment
589
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bellevue, WA
Highland Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530039000068
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Washington schools.
- #3 of 5
- middle schools in Bellevue · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- small classes for Washington
- 45.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Middle School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Middle School ranks #3 of 5 middle schools in Bellevue, WA.
School address
District: Bellevue School District · Washington
NCES ID 530039000068 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Middle School
Highland Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Bellevue, Washington, enrolling 589 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 45.0% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 589 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 462 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #121.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (20%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Bellevue's middle schools, it stands alongside Tyee Middle School (1,007 students): Highland Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 21.9:1).
Bellevue School District also operates Newport Senior High School (1,850 students) and Bellevue High School (1,683 students) alongside Highland Middle 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 Middle School compares
Highland Middle 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.0% | ▼ 0% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 589 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
589
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 30% in Washington - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,860
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 49.8%
White 20.1%
Asian 15.6%
Two or More 8.2%
African American 5.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Highland Middle School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bellevue School District, which includes Highland Middle School.
$17,860
Per student
-8%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.6%
State 47.5%
Federal 6.9%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bellevue High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Interlake Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sammamish Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tyee Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,850
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,683
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,611
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,363
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools in Bellevue
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Tyee Middle School
Standard public school
1,007 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Odle Middle School
Standard public school
974 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Chinook Middle School
Standard public school
752 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Tillicum Middle School
Standard public school
676 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~589 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bellevue 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 Middle School
How many students attend Highland Middle School?
Highland Middle School has 589 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bellevue, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Middle School is 14.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 6% 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 Middle School?
45.0% of students at Highland Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 49.8% of enrollment, in Bellevue, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Middle School?
Highland Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Middle School rank among middle schools in Bellevue?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Middle School ranks #3 of 5 middle schools in Bellevue, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Bellevue on the city page.
Is Highland Middle School a good school?
Highland Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Bellevue School District?
Besides Highland Middle School, Bellevue School District also operates Newport Senior High School (1,850 students), Bellevue High School (1,683 students), and Interlake Senior High School (1,611 students). See the Bellevue 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.