Enrollment
564
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kissimmee, FL
Highlands Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120147001468
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #9 of 26
- schools in Kissimmee · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 56.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #9 of 26 schools in Kissimmee, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+8% 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 higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kissimmee, Florida, enrolling 564 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.1% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 564 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 914 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #285.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 282 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Osceola also operates Tohopekaliga (2,929 students) and Celebration High School (2,681 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 | 15.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.1% | ▲ 8% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 564 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
564
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 35% in Florida - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
55.0%
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
$9,818
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 282 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 82.3%
White 7.6%
African American 6.0%
Asian 3.9%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.2, Highlands Elementary School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Osceola, which includes Highlands Elementary School.
$9,818
Per student
-12%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.5%
State 42.2%
Federal 14.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tohopekaliga | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Celebration High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harmony High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Cloud High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Poinciana High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 2,929
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 2,681
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,673
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,596
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,573
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~564 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Osceola'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 564 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kissimmee, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary School is 15.2:1, which is 15% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 3% lower 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 School?
56.1% 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 Hispanic or Latino at 82.3% of enrollment, in Kissimmee, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Elementary School?
Highlands Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Kissimmee?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #9 of 26 schools in Kissimmee, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kissimmee on the city page.
Is Highlands Elementary School a good school?
Highlands Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Osceola?
Besides Highlands Elementary School, Osceola also operates Tohopekaliga (2,929 students), Celebration High School (2,681 students), and Harmony High School (2,673 students). See the Osceola 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.