Highlands Elementary

Highlands Elementary is one of the compact elementary campuss in Spring Valley, California, operated by La Mesa-Spring Valley, with 357 students on its rolls from grades K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 23% smaller than the state mean of about 465.

La Mesa-Spring Valley runs 22 schools in total, collectively educating 10,491 students. Highlands Elementary is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Highlands Elementary records that 66% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. The remainder breaks down as 15% White, 7% Black, 7% multiracial, 3% Asian. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 35%.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 27.5:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 74% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, San Diego County runs at roughly 54%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Highlands Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 35.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 33.3%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for San Diego County put median household earnings sit near $106,268, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Highlands Elementary is one of 766 public schools in San Diego County (combined enrollment of about 467,437 students).

Monte Vista High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Highlands Elementary. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Highlands Elementary ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 36.8%.

The campus sits in a commuter-belt setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Highlands Elementary has edged down 34%, going from 544 students in 2018 to 357 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share climbed from 53% to 66%. Class-load math has tightened: from 28.6:1 in 2018 to 27.5:1 in 2025.

On allk12, members of the Highlands Elementary community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.