Enrollment
512
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Concord, CA
Highlands Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062637003951
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 16
- elementary schools in Concord · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.4:1
- large classes for California
- 15.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Elementary has class sizes larger than 94% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary ranks #2 of 16 elementary schools in Concord, CA.
School address
District: Mt. Diablo Unified · California
NCES ID 062637003951 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Elementary
Highlands Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Concord, California, enrolling 512 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.4:1 is larger than about 94% of California schools and 32% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.0% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the California average.
With 512 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,116 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #817, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (33%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Concord's elementary schools, it stands alongside Meadow Homes Elementary (732 students): Highlands Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (28.4:1 vs 28.2:1).
Mt. Diablo Unified also operates College Park High (1,948 students) and Northgate High (1,546 students) alongside Highlands Elementary.
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 Elementary compares
Highlands Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 28.4:1 | ▲ 32% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.0% | ▼ 73% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 512 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.4:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
512
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
28.4:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 94% in California - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,649
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 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
White 32.6%
Hispanic or Latino 28.7%
Two or More 19.5%
Asian 17.4%
African American 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 32.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.3, Highlands Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mt. Diablo Unified, which includes Highlands Elementary.
$13,649
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 43.9%
Federal 9.4%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Park High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northgate High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt. Diablo High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Concord High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ygnacio Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,948
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,546
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,397
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,137
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Concord
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Meadow Homes Elementary
Standard public school
732 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Rocketship Futuro Academy
Standard public school
669 students 33.5:1 students per teacher
Monte Gardens Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 29.6:1 students per teacher
Silverwood Elementary
Standard public school
530 students 26.5:1 students per teacher
Holbrook Language Academy
Standard public school
501 students 29.5:1 students per teacher
Cambridge Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~512 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~28.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Mt. Diablo Unified'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 Elementary
How many students attend Highlands Elementary?
Highlands Elementary has 512 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Concord, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary is 28.4:1, which is 32% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 81% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands Elementary?
15.0% of students at Highlands Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Elementary is White at 32.6% of enrollment, in Concord, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Elementary?
Highlands Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Concord?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary ranks #2 of 16 elementary schools in Concord, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Concord on the city page.
Is Highlands Elementary a good school?
Highlands Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 Mt. Diablo Unified?
Besides Highlands Elementary, Mt. Diablo Unified also operates College Park High (1,948 students), Northgate High (1,546 students), and Mt. Diablo High (1,397 students). See the Mt. Diablo Unified 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.