Enrollment
445
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grand Rapids, MI
Highlands School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262595006243
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #20 of 24
- elementary schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 41.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands School ranks #20 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
District: Northview Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262595006243 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands School
Highlands School is a mid-sized elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 445 students.
At 16.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 445 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 707 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #559, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 49/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Grand Rapids's elementary schools, it stands alongside River City Scholars Charter Academy (286 students): Highlands School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.5:1 vs 10.2:1).
Northview Public Schools also operates Northview High School (1,078 students) and Crossroads Middle School (472 students) alongside Highlands 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 School compares
Highlands School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.0% | ▼ 24% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 445 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
445
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in Michigan - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
58.9%
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
$12,809
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 69.2%
Two or More 11.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
African American 8.1%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 69.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Highlands School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northview Public Schools, which includes Highlands School.
$12,809
Per student
-5%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 59.0%
Federal 8.5%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crossroads Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Oakview Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Oakview Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Oakview Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,078
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 346
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 240
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Grand Rapids
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~445 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands School against another school. Compare schools
- Northview Public Schools'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 School
How many students attend Highlands School?
Highlands School has 445 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands School is 16.5:1, which is 6% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands School?
41.0% of students at Highlands School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands School is White at 69.2% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands School?
Highlands School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 School rank among elementary schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands School ranks #20 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is Highlands School a good school?
Highlands School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan 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 Northview Public Schools?
Besides Highlands School, Northview Public Schools also operates Northview High School (1,078 students), Crossroads Middle School (472 students), and East Oakview Elementary School (371 students). See the Northview Public Schools 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.