Enrollment
340
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Warren, RI
Highlander Secondary Charter S
Federal NCES profile for Highlander Secondary Charter S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 440003100521Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 86
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlander Secondary Charter S earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Rhode Island schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Warren · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Rhode Island
- 71.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlander Secondary Charter S has class sizes smaller than 90% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlander Secondary Charter S ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Warren, RI.
School address
District: Highlander · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440003100521 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.5%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlander Secondary Charter S compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlander Secondary Charter S
Highlander Secondary Charter S is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Warren, Rhode Island, enrolling 340 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, Highlander Secondary Charter S is leaner than roughly 90% of Rhode Island schools and 25% under the state's 13.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 340 students, its enrollment sits close to the Rhode Island median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Among 39 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Rhode Island schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 68 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Warren's public schools, it stands alongside Hugh Cole School (517 students): Highlander Secondary Charter S is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.3:1 vs 12.9:1).
Its district, Highlander, also runs Highlander Elementary Charter (269 students).
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 Highlander Secondary Charter S compares
Highlander Secondary Charter S on the metrics families compare, against Rhode Island and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Rhode Island | Rhode Island avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.3:1 | ▼ 25% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.5% | ▲ 81% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 340 | top 54% | - | - |
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.
340
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% above the Rhode Island average of 39.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 10% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
66.2%
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
$19,094
per pupil, district-wide
- below Rhode Island avg of $20,315
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 68 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 52.5%
African American 25.4%
White 15.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.5%
Two or More 2.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.4, Highlander Secondary Charter S is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highlander, which includes Highlander Secondary Charter S.
$19,094
Per student
-6%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.2%
State 51.8%
Federal 26.1%
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 Highlander Secondary Charter S Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlander Elementary Charter | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlander Secondary Charter S's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar other schools in Warren
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Rhode Island, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~340 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlander Secondary Charter S's federal record.
- Compare Highlander Secondary Charter S against another school. Compare schools
- Highlander'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 Highlander Secondary Charter S
How many students attend Highlander Secondary Charter S?
Highlander Secondary Charter S has 340 students enrolled. It is a public school in Warren, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlander Secondary Charter S?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlander Secondary Charter S is 10.3:1, which is 25% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 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 Highlander Secondary Charter S?
71.5% of students at Highlander Secondary Charter S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlander Secondary Charter S?
The largest demographic group at Highlander Secondary Charter S is Hispanic or Latino at 52.5% of enrollment, in Warren, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlander Secondary Charter S?
Highlander Secondary Charter S has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Highlander Secondary Charter S rank among public schools in Warren?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlander Secondary Charter S ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Warren, RI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Warren on the city page.
Is Highlander Secondary Charter S a good school?
Highlander Secondary Charter S earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Rhode Island 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 Highlander?
Besides Highlander Secondary Charter S, Highlander also operates Highlander Elementary Charter (269 students). See the Highlander 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.