Enrollment
717
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fort Thomas, KY
Highlands Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 210204001400
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Fort Thomas · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 7.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Middle School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Fort Thomas, KY.
School address
District: Fort Thomas Independent · Kentucky
NCES ID 210204001400 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.1%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Middle School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Middle School
Highlands Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, enrolling 717 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.1% free-meal eligibility runs 88% below the Kentucky average.
Enrollment of 717 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 26 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #6.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Fort Thomas Independent also operates Highlands High School (1,019 students) and Moyer Elementary School (565 students) alongside Highlands Middle 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 Middle School compares
Highlands Middle 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 7% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.1% | ▼ 88% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 717 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
717
Bigger than 81% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 68% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
6.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 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 89.4%
Two or More 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
African American 2.0%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 89.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.7, Highlands Middle School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Thomas Independent, which includes Highlands Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moyer Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodfill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Johnson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,019
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- 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 middle 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 (~717 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Highlands Middle School?
Highlands Middle School has 717 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fort Thomas, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Middle School is 16.3:1, which is 7% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands Middle School?
7.1% of students at Highlands Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Middle School is White at 89.4% of enrollment, in Fort Thomas, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Middle School?
Highlands Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Middle School rank among public schools in Fort Thomas?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Middle School ranks #2 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 Middle School a good school?
Highlands Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky 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 Fort Thomas Independent?
Besides Highlands Middle School, Fort Thomas Independent also operates Highlands High School (1,019 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.