Enrollment
292
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wallingford, CT
Highland School
Federal NCES profile for Highland School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 090474000953
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Connecticut schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Wallingford · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.7:1
- large classes for Connecticut
- 21.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland School has class sizes larger than 71% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Wallingford, CT.
School address
District: Wallingford School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090474000953 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.1%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
-42% 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 mid-sized combined-grade school in Wallingford, Connecticut, enrolling 292 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 292 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 240 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #154.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 39/100).
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Wallingford's public schools, it stands alongside Cook Hill School (357 students): Highland School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.7:1 vs 11.5:1).
Wallingford School District also operates Lyman Hall High School (936 students) and Mark T. Sheehan High School (673 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 | 12.7:1 | ▲ 5% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.1% | ▼ 42% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 292 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
292
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 71% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.6%
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
$24,840
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
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 76.4%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 2.7%
African American 1.7%
Largest group: White at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.3, Highland School is less mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wallingford School District, which includes Highland School.
$24,840
Per student
+4%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+50%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.6%
State 30.8%
Federal 6.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyman Hall High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mark T. Sheehan High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dag Hammarskjold Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| James H. Moran Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cook Hill School | Similar size | Higher 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
- 936
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 673
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools in Wallingford
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~292 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland School's federal record.
- Compare Highland School against another school. Compare schools
- Wallingford 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 292 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wallingford, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland School is 12.7:1, which is 5% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland School?
21.1% 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 76.4% of enrollment, in Wallingford, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland School?
Highland School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 School rank among schools in Wallingford?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Wallingford, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wallingford on the city page.
Is Highland School a good school?
Highland School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Wallingford School District?
Besides Highland School, Wallingford School District also operates Lyman Hall High School (936 students), Mark T. Sheehan High School (673 students), and Dag Hammarskjold Middle School (593 students). See the Wallingford 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.