Enrollment
789
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Howell, MI
Highlander Way Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Highlander Way Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 261872005555
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlander Way Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Michigan schools.
- #8 of 12
- public schools in Howell · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 29.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlander Way Middle School has class sizes larger than 78% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlander Way Middle School ranks #8 of 12 public schools in Howell, MI.
School address
District: Howell Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261872005555 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.4%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlander Way Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlander Way Middle School
Highlander Way Middle School is a large middle school in Howell, Michigan, enrolling 789 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 91% of state schools at 789 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 371 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #271, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 395 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Howell's middle schools, it stands alongside Parker Middle School (1,011 students): Highlander Way Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.7:1 vs 24.1:1).
Howell Public Schools also operates Howell High School (1,964 students) and Parker Middle School (1,011 students) alongside Highlander Way Middle 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 Highlander Way Middle School compares
Highlander Way Middle 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 | 19.7:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.4% | ▼ 46% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 789 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
789
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 78% in Michigan - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.4%
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
$11,672
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 395 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 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 91.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.8, Highlander Way Middle School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howell Public Schools, which includes Highlander Way Middle School.
$11,672
Per student
-14%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.1%
State 54.8%
Federal 7.1%
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 Way Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parker Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Three Fires Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwest Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Voyager Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlander Way Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,964
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar middle schools in Howell
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~789 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlander Way Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Highlander Way Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Howell Public Schools'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 Way Middle School
How many students attend Highlander Way Middle School?
Highlander Way Middle School has 789 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Howell, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlander Way Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlander Way Middle School is 19.7:1, which is 13% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlander Way Middle School?
29.4% of students at Highlander Way Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlander Way Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Highlander Way Middle School is White at 91.6% of enrollment, in Howell, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlander Way Middle School?
Highlander Way Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Way Middle School rank among public schools in Howell?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlander Way Middle School ranks #8 of 12 public schools in Howell, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Howell on the city page.
Is Highlander Way Middle School a good school?
Highlander Way Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Howell Public Schools?
Besides Highlander Way Middle School, Howell Public Schools also operates Howell High School (1,964 students), Parker Middle School (1,011 students), and Three Fires Elementary (753 students). See the Howell Public Schools 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.