Enrollment
591
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Denver, CO
Highline Academy Southeast
Federal NCES profile for Highline Academy Southeast, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080336001835Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highline Academy Southeast earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Colorado schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.
- #19 of 31
- elementary schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 38.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Highline Academy Southeast has class sizes smaller than 71% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highline Academy Southeast ranks #19 of 31 elementary schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080336001835 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.4%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highline Academy Southeast compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highline Academy Southeast
Highline Academy Southeast is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 591 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.4% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 591 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 244 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #67.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 547 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students) and Northfield High School (2,137 students) alongside Highline Academy Southeast.
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 Highline Academy Southeast compares
Highline Academy Southeast on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 17% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.4% | ▼ 0% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 591 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
591
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 29% in Colorado - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,336
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 547 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.
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 38.8%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
African American 24.9%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 38.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.3, Highline Academy Southeast is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C, which includes Highline Academy Southeast.
$15,336
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.4%
State 16.8%
Federal 12.8%
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 Highline Academy Southeast Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highline Academy Southeast's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,476
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,137
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~591 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highline Academy Southeast's federal record.
- Compare Highline Academy Southeast against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C'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 Highline Academy Southeast
How many students attend Highline Academy Southeast?
Highline Academy Southeast has 591 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highline Academy Southeast?
The student-teacher ratio at Highline Academy Southeast is 13.7:1, which is 17% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 13% 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 Highline Academy Southeast?
38.4% of students at Highline Academy Southeast are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highline Academy Southeast?
The largest demographic group at Highline Academy Southeast is White at 38.8% of enrollment, in Denver, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highline Academy Southeast?
Highline Academy Southeast has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Highline Academy Southeast rank among elementary schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Highline Academy Southeast ranks #19 of 31 elementary schools in Denver, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Highline Academy Southeast a good school?
Highline Academy Southeast earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Colorado schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado 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 School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C?
Besides Highline Academy Southeast, School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students), Northfield High School (2,137 students), and South High School (1,950 students). See the School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in Colorado
All public schools in Colorado
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C
All schools in this district
Schools in Denver
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.