Enrollment
824
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pearl City, HI
Highlands Intermediate School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Intermediate School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 150003000131
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Intermediate School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Hawaii schools.
- #1 of 9
- public schools in Pearl City · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Hawaii
- 26.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Intermediate School has class sizes larger than 73% of Hawaii schools. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Intermediate School ranks #1 of 9 public schools in Pearl City, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000131 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.5%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Intermediate School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Intermediate School
Highlands Intermediate School is a mid-sized middle school in Pearl City, Hawaii, enrolling 824 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 824 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Among 64 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Hawaii schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (35%) and Two or More (27%) (diversity index 75/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.4% 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.
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Highlands Intermediate 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 Intermediate School compares
Highlands Intermediate School on the metrics families compare, against Hawaii and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Hawaii | Hawaii avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.5% | ▼ 34% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 824 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
824
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the Hawaii average of 40.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 73% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.4%
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
$17,420
per pupil, district-wide
- above Hawaii avg of $17,420
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 65 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 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
Asian 34.7%
Two or More 27.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 17.7%
Hispanic or Latino 16.5%
White 3.2%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: Asian at 34.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.5, Highlands Intermediate School is more mixed than the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Highlands Intermediate School.
$17,420
Per student
+0%
vs Hawaii
Avg $17,420
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.8%
State 84.7%
Federal 14.5%
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 Intermediate School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands Intermediate School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,890
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,538
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,382
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,094
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Hawaii, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~824 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Intermediate School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Intermediate School against another school. Compare schools
- Hawaii Department of Education'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 Intermediate School
How many students attend Highlands Intermediate School?
Highlands Intermediate School has 824 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pearl City, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Intermediate School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Intermediate School is 15.5:1, which is 10% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands Intermediate School?
26.5% of students at Highlands Intermediate School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Intermediate School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Intermediate School is Asian at 34.7% of enrollment, in Pearl City, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Intermediate School?
Highlands Intermediate School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Intermediate School rank among public schools in Pearl City?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Intermediate School ranks #1 of 9 public schools in Pearl City, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Pearl City on the city page.
Is Highlands Intermediate School a good school?
Highlands Intermediate School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Hawaii 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 Hawaii Department of Education?
Besides Highlands Intermediate School, Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students), Waipahu High School (2,538 students), and Mililani High School (2,382 students). See the Hawaii Department of Education 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.