Enrollment
787
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 040340002662
Highland Park Elementary — Gilbert, AZ
Federal NCES profile for Highland Park Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 35
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Gilbert Unified District (4239) · Arizona
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Arizona avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Park Elementary compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Highland Park Elementary reports 787 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 51.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Arizona state mean of 17.7:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 1% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 11.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 77% below the Arizona average and 79% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 25.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Gilbert Unified District (4239) spends $10,931 per pupil district-wide, below the Arizona average of $15,070 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 43.1% from local sources (property taxes), 44.8% from the state, and 12.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Highland Park Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arizona state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.0% | ▼ 77% | 48.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 787 | top 84% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
11.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 77% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 39% in Arizona — lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,931
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arizona avg of $15,070
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 787 Top 84% in Arizona — larger than 16% of 2,186 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 51.0
Students per teacher 16.1:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 11.0% -77% vs state
NCES ID 040340002662
Student demographics
White 69.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.5%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 2.7%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 69.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 25.9%
In-school suspensions 16
Out-of-school suspensions 9
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gilbert Unified District (4239), which includes Highland Park Elementary.
$10,931
Per student
-27%
vs Arizona
Avg $15,070
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 43.1%
State 44.8%
Federal 12.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,992
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,418
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,103
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,863
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,303
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
Similar other schools in Gilbert
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Highland High School
Standard public school
2,992 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Gilbert High School
Standard public school
2,418 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Perry High School
Standard public school
2,373 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
American Leadership Academy Gilbert North K-12
Standard public school
2,357 students
Higley High School
Standard public school
2,005 students 21:1 students per teacher
Arizona Connections Academy
Standard public school
1,891 students
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Highland Park Elementary
How many students attend Highland Park Elementary?
Highland Park Elementary has 787 students enrolled. It is a other school in GILBERT, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Park Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Park Elementary is 16.1:1, which is 9% lower than the Arizona average of 17.7:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Park Elementary?
11.0% of students at Highland Park Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Park Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Highland Park Elementary is White at 69.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in GILBERT, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Park Elementary?
Highland Park Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.