Enrollment
1,019
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fort Thomas, KY
Highlands High School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210204000428
👥 S:T ratio 27
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands High School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kentucky schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Fort Thomas · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.2:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 7.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands High School has class sizes larger than 86% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Fort Thomas, KY.
School address
District: Fort Thomas Independent · Kentucky
NCES ID 210204000428 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.1%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands High School
Highlands High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, enrolling 1,019 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 86% of Kentucky schools and 20% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.1% free-meal eligibility runs 88% below the Kentucky average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kentucky, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,019 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 19 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Fort Thomas Independent also operates Highlands Middle School (717 students) and Moyer Elementary School (565 students) alongside Highlands High 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 High School compares
Highlands High School on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.2:1 | ▲ 20% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.1% | ▼ 88% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,019 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,019
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
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
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 86% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,303
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 255 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 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 88.3%
Two or More 4.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
Asian 1.6%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 88.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.6, Highlands High School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Thomas Independent, which includes Highlands High School.
$12,303
Per student
-7%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.9%
State 52.9%
Federal 2.2%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Moyer Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodfill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Johnson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 444
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,019 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands High School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands High School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Thomas Independent'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 High School
How many students attend Highlands High School?
Highlands High School has 1,019 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fort Thomas, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands High School is 18.2:1, which is 20% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands High School?
7.1% of students at Highlands High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands High School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands High School is White at 88.3% of enrollment, in Fort Thomas, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands High School?
Highlands High School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highlands High School rank among public schools in Fort Thomas?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Fort Thomas, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Fort Thomas on the city page.
Is Highlands High School a good school?
Highlands High School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kentucky 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 Fort Thomas Independent?
Besides Highlands High School, Fort Thomas Independent also operates Highlands Middle School (717 students), Moyer Elementary School (565 students), and Woodfill Elementary School (444 students). See the Fort Thomas Independent 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.