Enrollment
528
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Erie, CO
Highlands Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080537006834
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado schools.
- #3 of 6
- schools in Erie · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 7.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Elementary School has class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #3 of 6 schools in Erie, CO.
School address
District: St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j · Colorado
NCES ID 080537006834 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Elementary School
Highlands Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Erie, Colorado, enrolling 528 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23:1 is larger than about 93% of Colorado schools and 39% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.0% free-meal eligibility runs 82% below the Colorado average.
Enrollment of 528 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 293 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #172.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1056 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j spends $12,559 per pupil, 23% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j also operates Erie High School (1,727 students) and Niwot High School (1,509 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 Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23:1 | ▲ 39% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.0% | ▼ 82% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 528 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
528
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
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
23:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 93% in Colorado - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
4.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,559
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
White 66.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 7.6%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Highlands Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j, which includes Highlands Elementary School.
$12,559
Per student
-23%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.1%
State 36.7%
Federal 9.3%
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 Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Niwot High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frederick Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Longmont High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Soaring Heights Pk-8 | Larger | Similar 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
- 1,727
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,509
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,491
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,211
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~528 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j'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 528 students enrolled. It is a public school in Erie, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary School is 23:1, which is 39% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands Elementary School?
7.0% of students at Highlands Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Elementary School is White at 66.3% of enrollment, in Erie, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Elementary School?
Highlands Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Erie?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #3 of 6 schools in Erie, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Erie on the city page.
Is Highlands Elementary School a good school?
Highlands Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado 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 St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j?
Besides Highlands Elementary School, St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j also operates Erie High School (1,727 students), Niwot High School (1,509 students), and Frederick Senior High School (1,491 students). See the St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j 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.