Enrollment
340
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 440003100521 Charter school
Highlander Secondary Charter S — Warren, RI
Federal NCES profile for Highlander Secondary Charter S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 86
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Highlander · Rhode Island
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 13.4:1 Rhode Island avg
-22% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Highlander Secondary Charter S reports 340 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% below the Rhode Island state mean of 13.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 35% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 71.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 81% above the Rhode Island average and 38% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 68 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 66.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Highlander spends $19,942 per pupil district-wide, below the Rhode Island average of $22,892 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.2% from local sources (property taxes), 51.8% from the state, and 26.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Highlander Secondary Charter S compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Rhode Island state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Rhode Island | Rhode Island avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.4:1 | ▼ 22% | 13.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.5% | ▲ 81% | 39.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 340 | top 46% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
10.4:1
students per teacher
— 22% below state mean
Top 8% in Rhode Island — lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
66.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,942
per pupil, district-wide
— below Rhode Island avg of $22,892
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
Enrollment 340 Top 46% in Rhode Island — larger than 54% of 309 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 10.4:1 -22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 71.5% +81% vs state
NCES ID 440003100521
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 5.0
Students per counselor 68:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 66.2%
In-school suspensions 22
Out-of-school suspensions 44
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highlander, which includes Highlander Secondary Charter S.
$19,942
Per student
-13%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $22,892
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
Similar other schools in Warren
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 other 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 10.4:1, which is 22% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.4:1 and 35% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Warren, RI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlander Secondary Charter S?
Highlander Secondary Charter S has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.