Enrollment
379
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Mateo, CA
Highlands Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063492005907
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 14
- elementary schools in San Mateo · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.1:1
- students per teacher
- 17.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary ranks #3 of 14 elementary schools in San Mateo, CA.
School address
District: San Mateo-Foster City · California
NCES ID 063492005907 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-69% 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 San Mateo, California, enrolling 379 students.
At 21.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.4% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the California average.
With 379 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 832 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #211.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (29%) and Asian (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Mateo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Bayside Academy (840 students): Highlands Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.1:1 vs 19.1:1).
San Mateo-Foster City also operates Bowditch Middle (929 students) and Borel Middle (903 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 | 21.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.4% | ▼ 69% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
379
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 44% in California - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,395
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
Asian 27.2%
White 24.5%
Two or More 17.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 28.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.3, Highlands Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Mateo-Foster City, which includes Highlands Elementary.
$17,395
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.9%
State 14.6%
Federal 5.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowditch Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Borel Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bayside Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Abbott Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foster City Elementary | Larger | Lower 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
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 840
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in San Mateo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Bayside Academy
Standard public school
840 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Baywood Elementary
Standard public school
489 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Laurel Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
College Park Elementary
Standard public school
431 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Fiesta Gardens International Elementary
Standard public school
418 students 22:1 students per teacher
Parkside Montessori
Standard public school
418 students 27.9:1 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 (~379 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Mateo-Foster City'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 379 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Mateo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary is 21.1:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% higher 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 Elementary?
17.4% 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 Hispanic or Latino at 28.5% of enrollment, in San Mateo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Elementary?
Highlands Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Mateo?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary ranks #3 of 14 elementary schools in San Mateo, 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 San Mateo on the city page.
Is Highlands Elementary a good school?
Highlands Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 San Mateo-Foster City?
Besides Highlands Elementary, San Mateo-Foster City also operates Bowditch Middle (929 students), Borel Middle (903 students), and Bayside Academy (840 students). See the San Mateo-Foster City 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.