Enrollment
15
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lower Lake, CA
Highlands Academy
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062007002402
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 85
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Academy earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Lower Lake · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.5:1
- small classes for California
- 91.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Academy has class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Academy ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Lower Lake, CA.
School address
District: Konocti Unified · California
NCES ID 062007002402 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-65% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Academy
Highlands Academy is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Lower Lake, California, enrolling 15 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.5:1, Highlands Academy is leaner than roughly 98% of California schools and 65% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 91.7% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of California schools, with 15 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 63 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #43.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (40%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 75 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 10 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 15 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lower Lake's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lower Lake Elementary (743 students): Highlands Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.5:1 vs 25.6:1).
Konocti Unified also operates Lower Lake High (966 students) and Lower Lake Elementary (743 students) alongside Highlands Academy.
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 Highlands Academy compares
Highlands Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.5:1 | ▼ 65% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.7% | ▲ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 15 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.5:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
15
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
91.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.5:1
students per teacher
- 65% below state mean
Top 2% in California - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
60.0%
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
$15,630
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 66.7 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 46.7%
Hispanic or Latino 40.0%
African American 6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.7%
Largest group: White at 46.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, Highlands Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Konocti Unified, which includes Highlands Academy.
$15,630
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 62.9%
Federal 14.6%
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 Highlands Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Lake High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lower Lake Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pomo | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Burns Valley | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Konocti Education Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 702
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 326
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in Lower Lake
1 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 California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~15 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Academy's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Konocti Unified'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 Highlands Academy
How many students attend Highlands Academy?
Highlands Academy has 15 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lower Lake, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Academy is 7.5:1, which is 65% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% 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 Highlands Academy?
91.7% of students at Highlands Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Academy?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Academy is White at 46.7% of enrollment, in Lower Lake, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Academy?
Highlands Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Highlands Academy rank among public schools in Lower Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Academy ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Lower Lake, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lower Lake on the city page.
Is Highlands Academy a good school?
Highlands Academy earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of California schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in California. 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 Konocti Unified?
Besides Highlands Academy, Konocti Unified also operates Lower Lake High (966 students), Lower Lake Elementary (743 students), and Pomo (702 students). See the Konocti Unified 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.