Enrollment
503
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Winter Springs, FL
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 120171003125
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
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 near the Florida median.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Winter Springs · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 50.9%
- 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 #4 of 6 schools in Winter Springs, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120171003125 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-2% 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 Winter Springs, Florida, enrolling 503 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 50.9% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 503 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 698 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #320.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and White (40%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 503 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Seminole also operates Seminole High School (3,807 students) and Lake Brantley High School (2,813 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 | 50.9% | ▼ 2% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 503 | top 60% | - | - |
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.
503
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% below 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
25.0%
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
$9,352
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 503 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 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 41.0%
White 40.4%
Two or More 8.9%
African American 6.6%
Asian 3.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.5, Highlands Elementary School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seminole, which includes Highlands Elementary School.
$9,352
Per student
-16%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.4%
State 41.8%
Federal 14.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminole High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Brantley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Mary High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hagerty High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oviedo High School | Larger | Lower 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
- 3,807
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,813
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 2,714
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,312
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~503 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Seminole'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 503 students enrolled. It is a public school in Winter Springs, 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?
50.9% 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 41.0% of enrollment, in Winter Springs, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.5/100.
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 Winter Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Winter Springs, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Winter Springs 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 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 Seminole?
Besides Highlands Elementary School, Seminole also operates Seminole High School (3,807 students), Lake Brantley High School (2,813 students), and Lake Mary High School (2,714 students). See the Seminole 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.