Enrollment
519
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Seattle, WA
Hilltop Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hilltop Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530354000532
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilltop Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Washington schools.
- #5 of 13
- schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.8:1
- large classes for Washington
- 60.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hilltop Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop Elementary ranks #5 of 13 schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
NCES ID 530354000532 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilltop Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilltop Elementary
Hilltop Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 519 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 519 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 432 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #85.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and Asian (15%) (diversity index 53/100).
13.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Seattle's public schools, it stands alongside Summit Public School: Atlas (566 students): Hilltop Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.8:1 vs 18.9:1).
Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students) and Highline High School (1,423 students) alongside Hilltop Elementary.
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 Hilltop Elementary compares
Hilltop Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.8:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.9% | ▲ 35% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 519 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
519
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 83% in Washington - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
13.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 66.3%
Asian 15.0%
Two or More 6.4%
White 6.0%
African American 5.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.7, Hilltop Elementary is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highline School District, which includes Hilltop Elementary.
$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 Hilltop Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rainier High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highline High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Evergreen High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glacier Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cascade Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilltop Elementary'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 Seattle
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Summit Public School: Atlas
Standard public school
566 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
White Center Heights Elementary
Standard public school
527 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Mount View Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 20:1 students per teacher
Louisa Boren Stem K-8
Standard public school
437 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Beverly Park Elem at Glendale
Standard public school
411 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Cedar Park Elementary School
Standard public school
254 students 18.1:1 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 (~519 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilltop Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hilltop Elementary 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 Hilltop Elementary
How many students attend Hilltop Elementary?
Hilltop Elementary has 519 students enrolled. It is a public school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Elementary is 20.8:1, which is 18% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hilltop Elementary?
60.9% of students at Hilltop Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hilltop Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hilltop Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 66.3% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilltop Elementary?
Hilltop Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Hilltop Elementary rank among schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop Elementary ranks #5 of 13 schools in Seattle, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Seattle on the city page.
Is Hilltop Elementary a good school?
Hilltop Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Hilltop Elementary, 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.