Highlands Elementary

As an average-sized elementary-level community in Saugus, California, Highlands Elementary works with 666 students from grades K through 6, run under Saugus Union. Compared to the state average of about 465 students per school, that is 43% larger than typical.

Highlands Elementary is one of 15 schools operated by Saugus Union, a district that instructs 9,359 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Highlands Elementary lists that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 61% of enrollment. The remainder looks like 26% White, 5% Asian, 5% multiracial, 3% Black. The wider county runs roughly 48% Hispanic, putting the school's mix visibly more Hispanic than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Highlands Elementary has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 24.7:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 34% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Los Angeles County runs at roughly 70%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Highlands Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 59.2%; this one delivers 52.2%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Los Angeles County put the typical household earns roughly $90,112 per year, about 36% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Highlands Elementary is one of 2244 public schools in Los Angeles County (combined enrollment of about 1,265,907 students).

Saugus High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Highlands Elementary. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Highlands Elementary ranks 9th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 63.8%.

Highlands Elementary operates from a residential location.

Looking at the recent track record. Highlands Elementary's enrollment has rose 83% since 2018, when it stood at 363 (now 666). White enrollment moved from 51% to 26% across the same window. Class-load math has widened: from 22.7:1 in 2018 to 24.7:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.