Enrollment
370
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Huntsville, AL
Highlands Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010180000630
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Alabama schools.
- #20 of 29
- schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 78.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Elementary School has class sizes larger than 78% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #20 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Huntsville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010180000630 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Elementary School
Highlands Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 370 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 370 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 307 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #160.
Its student body is led by African American (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 370 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Huntsville's public schools, it stands alongside Providence Elementary (1,152 students): Highlands Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.5:1 vs 24.5:1).
Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students) and Huntsville High School (1,807 students) alongside Highlands Elementary 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 Elementary School compares
Highlands Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.2% | ▲ 33% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 370 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
370
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 78% in Alabama - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.1%
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
$12,033
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 370 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 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 70.5%
Hispanic or Latino 17.6%
Two or More 4.9%
White 4.3%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.7, Highlands Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Huntsville City, which includes Highlands Elementary School.
$12,033
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.2%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil Grissom High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Huntsville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Providence Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldsmithschiffman Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,847
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,807
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,152
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Huntsville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Providence Elementary
Standard public school
1,152 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Mt Carmel Elementary School
Standard public school
638 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Central School
Standard public school
610 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Monrovia Elementary School
Standard public school
600 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Blossomwood Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Riverton Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~370 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Huntsville 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 School
How many students attend Highlands Elementary School?
Highlands Elementary School has 370 students enrolled. It is a public school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary School is 19.5:1, which is 10% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands Elementary School?
78.2% of students at Highlands Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Elementary School is African American at 70.5% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Elementary School?
Highlands Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 School rank among schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #20 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is Highlands Elementary School a good school?
Highlands Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Alabama 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 Huntsville City?
Besides Highlands Elementary School, Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students), Huntsville High School (1,807 students), and Providence Elementary (1,152 students). See the Huntsville 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.