Enrollment
350
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Braintree, MA
Highlands
Federal NCES profile for Highlands, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 250294000365
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median.
- #2 of 8
- elementary schools in Braintree · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 350
- students enrolled
Highlands has class sizes near the Massachusetts median. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands ranks #2 of 8 elementary schools in Braintree, MA.
School address
District: Braintree · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250294000365 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands
Highlands is a mid-sized elementary school in Braintree, Massachusetts, enrolling 350 students.
At 12.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Massachusetts median, within a few percentage points of the 12.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
With 350 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Asian (24%) (diversity index 52/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Braintree spends $17,755 per pupil, 21% below the Massachusetts average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Braintree's elementary schools, it stands alongside East Middle School (999 students): Highlands is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.1:1 vs 13:1).
Braintree also operates Braintree High (1,694 students) and East Middle School (999 students) alongside Highlands.
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 compares
Highlands on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 54% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,755
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 64.6%
Asian 24.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
African American 3.1%
Two or More 2.0%
Largest group: White at 64.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.0, Highlands is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Braintree, which includes Highlands.
$17,755
Per student
-21%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.0%
State 31.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braintree High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hollis | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,694
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Braintree
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
East Middle School
Standard public school
999 students 13:1 students per teacher
Liberty
Standard public school
367 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Hollis
Standard public school
365 students 14:1 students per teacher
Archie T Morrison
Standard public school
327 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Mary E Flaherty School
Standard public school
290 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Monatiquot Kindergarten Center
Standard public school
200 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~350 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands's federal record.
- Compare Highlands against another school. Compare schools
- Braintree'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
How many students attend Highlands?
Highlands has 350 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Braintree, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands is 12.1:1, which is 2% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands?
The largest demographic group at Highlands is White at 64.6% of enrollment, in Braintree, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands?
Highlands has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highlands rank among elementary schools in Braintree?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands ranks #2 of 8 elementary schools in Braintree, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Braintree on the city page.
Is Highlands a good school?
Highlands earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts 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 Braintree?
Besides Highlands, Braintree also operates Braintree High (1,694 students), East Middle School (999 students), and South Middle School (635 students). See the Braintree 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.