Enrollment
208
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Burien, WA
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530354003742
👥 S:T ratio 68
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Washington schools.
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8:1
- small classes for Washington
- 80.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 208
- students enrolled
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy has class sizes smaller than 97% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
NCES ID 530354003742 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-55% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Burien, Washington, enrolling 208 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8:1, Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy is leaner than roughly 97% of Washington schools and 55% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 80.7% of students qualify for free meals, 79% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 208 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 89 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (21%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 208 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Among Burien's public schools, it stands alongside Gregory Heights Elementary (488 students): Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8:1 vs 19.5:1).
Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students) and Highline High School (1,423 students) alongside Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy.
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 Public Schools Virtual Academy compares
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8:1 | ▼ 55% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.7% | ▲ 79% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 208 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
208
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8:1
students per teacher
- 55% below state mean
Top 3% in Washington - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$19,077
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 208 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
Hispanic or Latino 47.1%
White 21.4%
African American 10.2%
Two or More 9.7%
Asian 7.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.5, Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highline School District, which includes Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy.
$19,077
Per student
-2%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 55.7%
Federal 14.6%
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 Public Schools Virtual Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rainier High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highline High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Evergreen High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glacier Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cascade Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other schools in Burien
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Gregory Heights Elementary
Standard public school
488 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Hazel Valley Elementary
Standard public school
469 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Seahurst Elementary School
Standard public school
405 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Shorewood Elementary
Standard public school
400 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Cedarhurst Elementary
Standard public school
399 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Big Picture School
Alternative education program
233 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~208 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Highline School District'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 Public Schools Virtual Academy
How many students attend Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy?
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy has 208 students enrolled. It is a public school in Burien, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy is 8:1, which is 55% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 49% 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 Public Schools Virtual Academy?
80.7% of students at Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 47.1% of enrollment, in Burien, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy?
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy a good school?
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Washington 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 Highline School District?
Besides Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy, Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students), Highline High School (1,423 students), and Evergreen High School (1,080 students). See the Highline School District 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.