Enrollment
96
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Caro, MI
Highland Pines School
Federal NCES profile for Highland Pines School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 268098000274
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Pines School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Caro · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 6.9:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 68.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Pines School has class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Pines School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Caro, MI.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-61% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Pines School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Pines School
Highland Pines School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Caro, Michigan, enrolling 96 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.9:1, Highland Pines School is leaner than roughly 95% of Michigan schools and 61% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 96 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 135 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #48.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Tuscola Isd operates only this one school, so Highland Pines School has no district-mates to compare against locally.
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 Pines School compares
Highland Pines School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6.9:1 | ▼ 61% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.5% | ▲ 26% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 96 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.9:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
96
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
6.9:1
students per teacher
- 61% below state mean
Top 5% in Michigan - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.5%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 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 87.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
African American 3.1%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.0, Highland Pines School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~96 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Pines School's federal record.
- Compare Highland Pines School against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscola Isd'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 Pines School
How many students attend Highland Pines School?
Highland Pines School has 96 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Caro, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Pines School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Pines School is 6.9:1, which is 61% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 56% 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 Pines School?
68.5% of students at Highland Pines School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Pines School?
The largest demographic group at Highland Pines School is White at 87.5% of enrollment, in Caro, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Pines School?
Highland Pines School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Pines School rank among schools in Caro?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Pines School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Caro, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Caro on the city page.
Is Highland Pines School a good school?
Highland Pines School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Michigan 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 Tuscola Isd?
None reported; Tuscola Isd operates only Highland Pines School as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.