Other / mixed grade configuration · Highlands, NC

Highlands School

Federal NCES profile for Highlands School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370276001139
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10060/100
👥 S:T ratio
60
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
31
📋 Attendance
79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Highlands School earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of North Carolina schools.

60
Resource Index · Higher
10.1:1
small classes for North Carolina
33.4%
free-lunch eligible
344
students enrolled

Highlands School has class sizes smaller than 94% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.

School address

Highlands, NC 28741
District: Macon County Schools · North Carolina

NCES ID 370276001139 Verify on NCES CCD record →

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

-13 students YoY

Highlands School held near 319 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-13 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 34.8 → 34.4 across the same CCD years.

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

Steady CCD campus

-13 students YoY 370276001139 · Highlands, NC Other · SMALL · TRAD

344 enr · 10.1:1 · 33.4% lunch · RII 60

Nearest enrollment peer: Franklin High (996 students)

Highlands School held near 319 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-13 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 34.8 → 34.4 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →

Highlands School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Highlands School reports 344 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 School compares

Highlands School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs North Carolina and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs North Carolina North Carolina avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 10.1:1 ▼ 36% 15.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 33.4% ▼ 49% 66.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 344 top 72% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

10.1:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
344
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
33.4%
free-lunch eligible - 49% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.1:1
students per teacher - 36% below state mean
Top 6% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,238
per pupil, district-wide - above North Carolina avg of $12,294
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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.

Student demographics

White 66.9%
Hispanic or Latino 31.1%
Two or More 1.2%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 45.6/100

Simpson diversity index - at 45.6, Highlands School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.

Programs

AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Macon County Schools reports $13,238 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Highlands School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Franklin High Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Mountain View Intermediate Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Macon Middle School Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
South Macon Elementary Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Iotla Valley Elementary Similar size Higher economic need Higher 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

Macon County Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide other 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 (~344 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.1:1)

Frequently asked questions about Highlands School

How many students attend Highlands School?

Highlands School has 344 students enrolled. It is a public school in Highlands, NC. CCD year-over-year: 332 (2022-23) → 319 (2023-24), nearly flat (-13).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands School?

The student-teacher ratio at Highlands School is 10.1:1, which is 36% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 36% lower 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?

33.4% of students at Highlands School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands School?

The largest demographic group at Highlands School is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Highlands, NC.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands School?

Highlands School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (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).

What other schools are in Macon County Schools?

Besides Highlands School, Macon County Schools also operates Franklin High (996 students), Mountain View Intermediate (614 students), and Macon Middle School (576 students). See the Macon County Schools 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 .