Enrollment
299
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Boise, ID
Hillcrest Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160036000056
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Idaho median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Idaho schools.
- #11 of 65
- schools in Boise · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 67.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Elementary School has class sizes near the Idaho median. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary School ranks #11 of 65 schools in Boise, ID.
School address
District: Boise Independent District · Idaho
NCES ID 160036000056 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.5%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
+130% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Elementary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Elementary School
Hillcrest Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Boise, Idaho, enrolling 299 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 67.5% of students qualify for free meals, 130% above the Idaho average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 299 students, its enrollment sits close to the Idaho median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 775 scored Idaho schools.
Against 20 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #11.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 299 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Boise Independent District also operates Boise Senior High School (1,512 students) and Borah Senior High School (1,308 students) alongside Hillcrest Elementary 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 Hillcrest Elementary School compares
Hillcrest Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.5% | ▲ 130% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 299 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
299
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 130% above the Idaho average of 29.3%
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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 39% in Idaho - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$12,278
per pupil, district-wide
- above Idaho avg of $11,939
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 299 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 59.9%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%
African American 14.4%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 4.0%
Largest group: White at 59.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Hillcrest Elementary School is more mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Boise Independent District, which includes Hillcrest Elementary School.
$12,278
Per student
+3%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.0%
State 43.1%
Federal 11.9%
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 Hillcrest Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Borah Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timberline High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capital Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,512
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,308
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,307
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,170
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~299 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Boise Independent 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 Hillcrest Elementary School
How many students attend Hillcrest Elementary School?
Hillcrest Elementary School has 299 students enrolled. It is a public school in Boise, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary School is 15.7:1, which is 8% lower than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 0% 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 Hillcrest Elementary School?
67.5% of students at Hillcrest Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Elementary School is White at 59.9% of enrollment, in Boise, ID. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Elementary School?
Hillcrest Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hillcrest Elementary School rank among schools in Boise?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary School ranks #11 of 65 schools in Boise, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Boise on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Elementary School a good school?
Hillcrest Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Idaho median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Idaho 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 Boise Independent District?
Besides Hillcrest Elementary School, Boise Independent District also operates Boise Senior High School (1,512 students), Borah Senior High School (1,308 students), and Timberline High School (1,307 students). See the Boise Independent 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.