Enrollment
899
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cheshire, CT
Highland School
Federal NCES profile for Highland School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 090075000127
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Connecticut schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Cheshire · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 12.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland School has class sizes larger than 89% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Cheshire, CT.
School address
District: Cheshire School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090075000127 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.5%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland School
Highland School is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Cheshire, Connecticut, enrolling 899 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.7:1 is larger than about 89% of Connecticut schools and 21% above the 12.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 12.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Connecticut, bigger than 92% of state schools at 899 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 97 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #48.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 450 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Cheshire's elementary schools, it stands alongside Doolittle School (529 students): Highland School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.7:1 vs 14.3:1).
Cheshire School District also operates Cheshire High School (1,208 students) and Dodd Middle School (660 students) alongside Highland 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 School compares
Highland 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 21% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.5% | ▼ 66% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 899 | top 8% | - | - |
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.
899
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% below the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 89% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
3.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$22,316
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 450 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 71.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.6%
Asian 9.7%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 2.6%
Largest group: White at 71.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.0, Highland School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cheshire School District, which includes Highland School.
$22,316
Per student
-7%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.5%
State 23.7%
Federal 3.8%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dodd Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Doolittle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Norton School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chapman School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 660
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools in Cheshire
3 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 Connecticut, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~899 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland School's federal record.
- Compare Highland School against another school. Compare schools
- Cheshire 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 School
How many students attend Highland School?
Highland School has 899 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cheshire, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland School is 14.7:1, which is 21% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland School?
12.5% of students at Highland School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland School?
The largest demographic group at Highland School is White at 71.6% of enrollment, in Cheshire, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland School?
Highland School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 School rank among elementary schools in Cheshire?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Cheshire, 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 Cheshire on the city page.
Is Highland School a good school?
Highland School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of 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 Cheshire School District?
Besides Highland School, Cheshire School District also operates Cheshire High School (1,208 students), Dodd Middle School (660 students), and Doolittle School (529 students). See the Cheshire 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.