Enrollment
11,713
California · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 060244213830 Charter school
Highlands Community Charter — Sacramento, CA
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Community Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 0/100.
👥 Class size 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: Highlands Community Charter District · California
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)
95.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
71:1
vs 21.6:1 California avg
+229% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Community Charter compares with California 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
Highlands Community Charter reports 11,713 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 95.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 71:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 229% above the California state mean of 21.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 347% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 82.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 48% above the California average and 59% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Highlands Community Charter District spends $11,693 per pupil district-wide, below the California average of $18,039 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 14.6% from local sources (property taxes), 82.2% from the state, and 3.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 0/100 (F), calculated from 1 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 Highlands Community Charter compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against California state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 71:1 | ▲ 229% | 21.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.4% | ▲ 48% | 55.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 11,713 | top 100% | — | — |
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
82.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 48% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
71:1
students per teacher
— 229% above state mean
Top 100% in California — lower ratio than 0% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$11,693
per pupil, district-wide
— below California avg of $18,039
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Overview
Enrollment 11,713 Top 100% in California — larger than 0% of 10,006 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 95.0
Students per teacher 71:1 +229% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 82.4% +48% vs state
NCES ID 060244213830
Student demographics
White 47.2%
Asian 24.7%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
Two or More 12.8%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 47.2% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highlands Community Charter District, which includes Highlands Community Charter.
$11,693
Per student
-35%
vs California
Avg $18,039
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 14.6%
State 82.2%
Federal 3.2%
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.
Similar other schools in Sacramento
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Natomas Charter
Standard public school
1,850 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
California Innovative Career Academy
Standard public school
1,729 students 41.5:1 students per teacher
Fortune
Standard public school
1,698 students 31.1:1 students per teacher
Westlake Charter
Standard public school
1,493 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Leroy Greene Academy
Standard public school
755 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Sava - Sacramento Academic and Vocational Academy - Scusd
Standard public school
672 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
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 Highlands Community Charter
How many students attend Highlands Community Charter?
Highlands Community Charter has 11,713 students enrolled. It is a other school in Sacramento, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Community Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Community Charter is 71:1, which is 229% higher than the California average of 21.6:1 and 347% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands Community Charter?
82.4% of students at Highlands Community Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Community Charter?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Community Charter is White at 47.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Sacramento, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Community Charter?
Highlands Community Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 0/100 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.