Enrollment
300
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Manchester, CT
Highland Park School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Park School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090231000420
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Park School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Connecticut schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Connecticut schools.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Manchester · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 43.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Park School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Park School ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Manchester, CT.
School address
District: Manchester School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090231000420 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.1%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Park School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Park School
Highland Park School is a mid-sized elementary school in Manchester, Connecticut, enrolling 300 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 43.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 300 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 159 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #96.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (34%) and White (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Manchester's elementary schools, it stands alongside Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy (864 students): Highland Park School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (10.3:1 vs 9.5:1).
Manchester School District also operates Manchester High School (1,703 students) and Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy (864 students) alongside Highland Park 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 School compares
Highland Park School on the metrics families compare, against Connecticut and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.3:1 | ▼ 15% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.1% | ▲ 18% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
300
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 24% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
23.3%
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
$27,647
per pupil, district-wide
- above Connecticut avg of $23,870
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 33.7%
White 33.0%
African American 21.3%
Asian 7.0%
Two or More 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 33.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.5, Highland Park School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manchester School District, which includes Highland Park School.
$27,647
Per student
+16%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+67%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.2%
State 34.0%
Federal 9.8%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Illing Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waddell School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Verplanck School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Park School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,703
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 8.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Manchester
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy
Standard public school
864 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Waddell School
Standard public school
476 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Verplanck School
Standard public school
466 students 10.4:1 students per teacher
Bowers School
Standard public school
376 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Buckley School
Standard public school
284 students 8.6:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Connecticut, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~300 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Park School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Park School against another school. Compare schools
- Manchester 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 Park School
How many students attend Highland Park School?
Highland Park School has 300 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Manchester, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Park School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Park School is 10.3:1, which is 15% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 34% 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 Park School?
43.1% of students at Highland Park School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Park School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Park School is Hispanic or Latino at 33.7% of enrollment, in Manchester, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Park School?
Highland Park School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highland Park School rank among elementary schools in Manchester?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Park School ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Manchester, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Manchester on the city page.
Is Highland Park School a good school?
Highland Park School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Connecticut schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Connecticut 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 Manchester School District?
Besides Highland Park School, Manchester School District also operates Manchester High School (1,703 students), Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy (864 students), and Illing Middle School (763 students). See the Manchester 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.