Enrollment
419
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedar Hill, TX
Highlands El
Federal NCES profile for Highlands El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481323006374
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands El earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #8 of 9
- schools in Cedar Hill · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 75.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands El ranks #8 of 9 schools in Cedar Hill, TX.
School address
District: Cedar Hill Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481323006374 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands El
Highlands El is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cedar Hill, Texas, enrolling 419 students.
At 14:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 419 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,702 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,110.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 419 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Cedar Hill Isd also operates Cedar Hill H S (1,974 students) and Waterford Oaks El (521 students) alongside Highlands El.
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 El compares
Highlands El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.4% | ▲ 22% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 419 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
419
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 47% in Texas - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.8%
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
$11,130
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 419 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 70.2%
African American 26.5%
Two or More 1.9%
White 1.0%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.6, Highlands El is about as mixed as the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Hill Isd, which includes Highlands El.
$11,130
Per student
-18%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.2%
State 23.1%
Federal 20.7%
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 El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Hill H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waterford Oaks El | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bessie Coleman Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeridge El | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 520
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~419 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands El's federal record.
- Compare Highlands El against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Hill Isd'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 El
How many students attend Highlands El?
Highlands El has 419 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedar Hill, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands El?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands El is 14:1, which is 5% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 11% 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 El?
75.4% of students at Highlands El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands El?
The largest demographic group at Highlands El is Hispanic or Latino at 70.2% of enrollment, in Cedar Hill, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands El?
Highlands El has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 El rank among schools in Cedar Hill?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands El ranks #8 of 9 schools in Cedar Hill, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cedar Hill on the city page.
Is Highlands El a good school?
Highlands El earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Cedar Hill Isd?
Besides Highlands El, Cedar Hill Isd also operates Cedar Hill H S (1,974 students), Waterford Oaks El (521 students), and Cedar Hill Collegiate Prep (520 students). See the Cedar Hill Isd 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.