Enrollment
311
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 172472002677
Highlands Elem School — Hazel Crest, IL
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 20/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 28
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: Prairie-Hills Esd 144 · Illinois
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)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.2:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Elem School compares with Illinois 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 Elem School reports 311 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 13.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 25.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 73% above the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 58% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Prairie-Hills Esd 144 spends $20,298 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $20,099 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.7% from local sources (property taxes), 53.0% from the state, and 16.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Elem School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Illinois state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.2:1 | ▲ 73% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 311 | top 38% | — | — |
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.
Staffing depth
25.2:1
students per teacher
— 73% above state mean
Top 98% in Illinois — lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
28.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,298
per pupil, district-wide
— above Illinois avg of $20,099
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
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
Enrollment 311 Top 38% in Illinois — larger than 62% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 13.0
Students per teacher 25.2:1 +73% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 172472002677
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prairie-Hills Esd 144, which includes Highlands Elem School.
$20,298
Per student
+1%
vs Illinois
Avg $20,099
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Enrollment
- 249
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Enrollment
- 217
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
Similar other schools in Hazel Crest
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 Elem School
How many students attend Highlands Elem School?
Highlands Elem School has 311 students enrolled. It is a other school in Hazel Crest, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elem School is 25.2:1, which is 73% higher than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Hazel Crest, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Elem School?
Highlands Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.