Enrollment
311
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hazel Crest, IL
Highlands Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 172472002677
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Elem School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Illinois schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Hazel Crest · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.9:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 311
- students enrolled
Highlands Elem School has class sizes larger than 98% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elem School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Hazel Crest, IL.
School address
District: Prairie-Hills Esd 144 · Illinois
NCES ID 172472002677 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Elem School
Highlands Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hazel Crest, Illinois, enrolling 311 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.9:1 is larger than about 98% of Illinois schools and 71% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 311 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hazel Crest's public schools, it stands alongside Jesse C White Learning Academy (425 students): Highlands Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.9:1 vs 12.9:1).
Prairie-Hills Esd 144 also operates Prairie-Hills Junior High School (766 students) and Mae Jemison School (368 students) alongside Highlands Elem 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 Highlands Elem School compares
Highlands Elem School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.9:1 | ▲ 71% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 311 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.9:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
311
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
23.9:1
students per teacher
- 71% above state mean
Top 98% in Illinois - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
28.6%
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
$15,973
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 90.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Two or More 2.6%
White 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 90.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.5, Highlands Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prairie-Hills Esd 144, which includes Highlands Elem School.
$15,973
Per student
-6%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.7%
State 53.0%
Federal 16.3%
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 Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie-Hills Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mae Jemison School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Markham Park Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chateaux School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fieldcrest Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 249
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 217
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar other schools in Hazel Crest
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~311 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Prairie-Hills Esd 144'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 Elem School
How many students attend Highlands Elem School?
Highlands Elem School has 311 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hazel Crest, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elem School is 23.9:1, which is 71% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Elem School is African American at 90.0% of enrollment, in Hazel Crest, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Elem School?
Highlands Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highlands Elem School rank among schools in Hazel Crest?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elem School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Hazel Crest, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hazel Crest on the city page.
Is Highlands Elem School a good school?
Highlands Elem School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Illinois 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 Prairie-Hills Esd 144?
Besides Highlands Elem School, Prairie-Hills Esd 144 also operates Prairie-Hills Junior High School (766 students), Mae Jemison School (368 students), and Markham Park Elem School (292 students). See the Prairie-Hills Esd 144 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.