Enrollment
236
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Muscle Shoals, AL
Highland Park Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Park Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010252001060
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Park Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Muscle Shoals · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 45.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Park Elementary School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Park Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Muscle Shoals, AL.
School address
District: Muscle Shoals City · Alabama
NCES ID 010252001060 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Park Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Park Elementary School
Highland Park Elementary School is a small elementary school in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, enrolling 236 students.
At 16.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 236 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 78 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #71, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 472 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Muscle Shoals's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mcbride Elementary School (647 students): Highland Park Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Muscle Shoals City also operates Muscle Shoals High School (864 students) and Mcbride Elementary School (647 students) alongside Highland Park Elementary 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 Park Elementary School compares
Highland Park Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▼ 22% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 236 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
236
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 42% in Alabama - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.6%
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
$11,914
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 64.0%
African American 14.8%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Two or More 7.6%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, Highland Park Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscle Shoals City, which includes Highland Park Elementary School.
$11,914
Per student
-5%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.9%
State 53.6%
Federal 11.5%
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 Park Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcbride Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Muscle Shoals Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Howell Graves Preschool | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Park Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 234
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Muscle Shoals
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~236 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Park Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Park Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Muscle Shoals City'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 Park Elementary School
How many students attend Highland Park Elementary School?
Highland Park Elementary School has 236 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Muscle Shoals, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Park Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Park Elementary School is 16.9:1, which is 5% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 8% higher 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 Park Elementary School?
45.7% of students at Highland Park Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Park Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Park Elementary School is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in Muscle Shoals, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Park Elementary School?
Highland Park Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Park Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Muscle Shoals?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Park Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Muscle Shoals, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Muscle Shoals on the city page.
Is Highland Park Elementary School a good school?
Highland Park Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama 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 Muscle Shoals City?
Besides Highland Park Elementary School, Muscle Shoals City also operates Muscle Shoals High School (864 students), Mcbride Elementary School (647 students), and Muscle Shoals Middle School (642 students). See the Muscle Shoals City 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.