Enrollment
692
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jacksonville, FL
Highlands Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120048000694
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Elementary School earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Florida schools.
- #91 of 94
- schools in Jacksonville · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.1:1
- large classes for Florida
- 77.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Elementary School has class sizes larger than 88% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #91 of 94 schools in Jacksonville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Elementary School
Highlands Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jacksonville, Florida, enrolling 692 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.1:1 is larger than about 88% of Florida schools and 30% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 77.5% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 692 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 734 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #733, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 692 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Duval also operates Atlantic Coast High School (2,887 students) and Sandalwood High School (2,627 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 Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.1:1 | ▲ 30% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.5% | ▲ 49% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 692 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
692
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 88% in Florida - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.9%
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
$10,696
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
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 692 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 69.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
White 9.8%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 69.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.5, Highlands Elementary School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duval, which includes Highlands Elementary School.
$10,696
Per student
-4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 39.3%
Federal 19.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sandalwood High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mandarin High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Duncan U. Fletcher High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| First Coast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar 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
- 2,887
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,627
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 2,184
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 2,098
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~692 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Duval'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 692 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jacksonville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary School is 23.1:1, which is 30% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands Elementary School?
77.5% of students at Highlands Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Elementary School is African American at 69.4% of enrollment, in Jacksonville, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Elementary School?
Highlands Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (lower 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 Jacksonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #91 of 94 schools in Jacksonville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jacksonville on the city page.
Is Highlands Elementary School a good school?
Highlands Elementary School earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Florida 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 Duval?
Besides Highlands Elementary School, Duval also operates Atlantic Coast High School (2,887 students), Sandalwood High School (2,627 students), and Mandarin High School (2,343 students). See the Duval 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.