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 55/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210204000428
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10055/100
👥 S:T ratio
27
🌟 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 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kentucky schools.

#1 of 5
public schools in Fort Thomas · Resource Index
55
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

Fort Thomas, KY 41075
District: Fort Thomas Independent · Kentucky

NCES ID 210204000428 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+7 students YoY

Highlands High School held near 1,022 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+7 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 56.0 → 58.4 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+7 students YoY 210204000428 · Fort Thomas, KY High · MID · TRAD

1,019 enr · 18.2:1 · 7.1% lunch · RII 55

Nearest enrollment peer: Highlands Middle School (717 students)

Highlands High School held near 1,022 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+7 headcount). Teacher FTE added 56.0 → 58.4 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Kentucky schools → · Find another →

Highlands High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Highlands High School reports 1,019 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Highlands High School compares

Highlands High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs 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 methodology

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
$12,975
per pupil, district-wide - below Kentucky avg of $14,362
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.

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

District finance for Fort Thomas Independent reports $12,975 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

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

Fort Thomas Independent · 4 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~1,019 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)

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. CCD year-over-year: 1,015 (2022-23) → 1,022 (2023-24), nearly flat (+7).

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 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. 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.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .