Enrollment
541
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sugar Land, TX
Highlands El
Federal NCES profile for Highlands El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 481965006255
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands El earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #4 of 16
- schools in Sugar Land · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 36.7%
- 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 #4 of 16 schools in Sugar Land, TX.
School address
District: Fort Bend Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481965006255 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-41% 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 mid-sized combined-grade school in Sugar Land, Texas, enrolling 541 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 541 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 994 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #397.
Its student body is led by Asian (29%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 541 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Fort Bend Isd spends $10,893 per pupil, 20% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Fort Bend Isd also operates William B Travis H S (3,114 students) and Lawrence E Elkins H S (2,848 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 10% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.7% | ▼ 41% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 541 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
541
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 36% in Texas - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,893
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 541 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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
Asian 28.8%
Hispanic or Latino 25.1%
White 23.7%
African American 16.3%
Two or More 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 28.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.8, Highlands El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Bend Isd, which includes Highlands El.
$10,893
Per student
-20%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.4%
State 26.9%
Federal 14.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William B Travis H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lawrence E Elkins H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Point H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stephen F Austin H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clements H S | Larger | 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
- 3,114
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,848
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,816
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,655
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~541 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands El's federal record.
- Compare Highlands El against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Bend 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 541 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sugar Land, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands El?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands El is 13.2:1, which is 10% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 16% 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?
36.7% 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 Asian at 28.8% of enrollment, in Sugar Land, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands El?
Highlands El 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 El rank among schools in Sugar Land?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands El ranks #4 of 16 schools in Sugar Land, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sugar Land on the city page.
Is Highlands El a good school?
Highlands El earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas 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 Fort Bend Isd?
Besides Highlands El, Fort Bend Isd also operates William B Travis H S (3,114 students), Lawrence E Elkins H S (2,848 students), and Ridge Point H S (2,816 students). See the Fort Bend 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.